The Central Tibetan Administration has recently commented on the so-called Order no. 5 of China's State Administration of Religious Affairs on "Management Measures for the Re-Incarnation of Living Buddhas in Tibetan Buddhism". According to the CTA the document contains contradictory statements and wild claims, and reflects the "true" motives of the Chinese leadership. It will serve as a tool for the Chinese government to repress Tibetans under their tyrannical rule, and will also be recorded as a gross historical misrepresentation. The CTA have issued a statement repudiating the document.
Religious freedom is universally accepted to means that all citizens can believe or not believe, in any religion, and that a believer can practise and propagate his or her religion, and especially that there should be no state of political interference in religious affairs. The People's Republic of China includes freedom of religious belief among the fundamental rights of the people in its constitution. Yet it continues to forcibly interfere in the religious activities of all religions of the country, according to its political needs.
During the last many centuries since the recognition of Tulkus (or Living Buddhas) came into being, the principal disciples of the concerned lamas and responsible officials of their spiritual seats have freely recognised their re-incarnated beings, based on the latter's faith in and spiritual bond with the former. Recognition of Tulkus is something that can neither be appointed from above, nor be elected by the general populace, or be bestowed upon someone as "titles" of "positions". Since the task involved is to search for the place where the previous being has taken rebirth, it must be recongised through the prognositc signs demonstrated by the concerned re-incarnation beings, in consultation with the lamas or protective deities gifted with intuitive powers, and through other traditional or religious methods of testing. Highly realised beings take rebirth for the benefit of the Dharma and sentient beings. As such their meritorious service is not incument upon the state's approval, or the formal recognition accorded by it. Therefore simply by issuing an order on measures for the recognition of Tulkus, it cannot fullfill the order's twin purpose of undermining or diluting Tibetan Buddhism, and exercising control over the hears and minds of the Tibetan people through state-sponsored "Living Buddhas".