Beijing: China has condemned the awarding of a Grammy to the Dalai Lama, calling it a tool for political incitement. The Dalai Lama, the spiritual leader of Tibet who has been in exile in India for decades, received a Grammy Award for Best Audiobook for his work, "Meditation - A Reflection of the Dalai Lama." The award was accepted on his behalf at a ceremony in Los Angeles on Sunday.
According to Thai News Agency, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian stated that China strongly opposes the use of art awards as a political tool to oppose the Chinese government. He also said that it is well known that the 14th Dalai Lama is not merely a religious figure, but a political refugee who uses religion to conceal his anti-China and separatist sentiments.
Meanwhile, the Dalai Lama issued a statement expressing his heartfelt and humbly thanking the Grammy Awards committee, affirming that receiving the award was not a personal matter but an acknowledgment of a shared responsibility for humanity.
Over the weekend, approximately 91,000 Tibetan exiles in 27 countries held elections for their respective governments in exile, a move that has greatly displeased the Chinese government.