Voice for the Voiceless is the latest book by His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama of Tibet, who turns 90 in July this year. Tsamtruk.com is delighted to publish this book review, submitted by a Tibet supporter. Thank you!

Voice for the Voiceless: Over Seven Decades of Struggle with China for My Land and My People

A Political Manifesto for Tibet’s Struggle

Part One: The Dalai Lama’s Succession – A Matter for Tibetans, Not China

“Voice for the Voiceless: Over Seven Decades of Struggle with China for My Land and My People” is clearly the Dalai Lama’s most political book to date. At 90 years old, he writes with the weight of history on his shoulders, fully aware that this may be his last major statement on Tibet’s struggle. The book reads like a final political testament, an urgent call to action for Tibetans and the world alike.

He poses two key questions:

“Were the Chinese ever serious about substantive negotiations on Tibet? What lessons should we learn from our history of dealing with the People’s Republic of China thus far for the future of our struggle for freedom?”

The Dalai Lama makes it abundantly clear that his successor will be born in exile, beyond Beijing’s reach:

“Since the purpose of a reincarnation is to carry on the work of the predecessor, the new Dalai Lama will be born in the free world so that the traditional mission of the Dalai Lama—that is, to be the voice for universal compassion, the spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhism, and the symbol of Tibet embodying the aspirations of the Tibetan people—will continue.”

This is an explicit rejection of China’s attempts to control his reincarnation, a strategy it has already used to install a puppet Panchen Lama. China has long recognised that control over Tibetan Buddhism means control over Tibet itself. In 2015, Zhu Weiqun, then Chairman of China’s Committee for Ethnic and Religious Affairs, admitted: “Whoever has the name of the Dalai Lama will control political power in Tibet.”

The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is an atheist regime with no legitimate claim over Tibetan spiritual affairs. Yet, as the Dalai Lama warns, China is determined to exploit reincarnation for political ends. Tibetans must remain vigilant.

Part Two: A Call to Action – Supporting the Tibetan Cause

The Dalai Lama does not present Voice for the Voiceless as a mere historical record but as a demand for renewed global support. The struggle for Tibet is not over, and the Dalai Lama is explicit about the need to preserve Tibetan identity:

“One clear lesson we know from history is this: If you keep people permanently unhappy, you cannot have a stable society.”

Tibetans face cultural annihilation under Beijing’s rule. The CCP has systematically dismantled Tibetan institutions, forced children into Mandarin-language boarding schools, and flooded Tibet with Han Chinese settlers. The Dalai Lama warns of “coercive policies of assimilation” that threaten the very existence of Tibetan culture.

Unfortunately in the West, Tibet has faded from the political agenda. Tibetan Buddhism is now firmly established with many centres representing many of the traditional lineages inside Tibet. However the depiction of Buddhism in pop culture has changed, reflects this increasingly cynical shift, in The White Lotus, Patrick Schwarzenegger’s character sneers:

“Buddhism is for cowards. They’re afraid… Don’t get attached, don’t have desires, don’t even try.” This reflects a growing trend of dismissing Buddhism as passive, apolitical, and irrelevant—a convenient narrative for those who would prefer to ignore Tibet’s plight. The Dalai Lama’s book is a direct challenge to this apparent indifference. People who practice Buddhism could be a powerful voice to support Tibet.

Governments must take a firm stand. While the United States has passed legislation affirming Tibetans’ right to choose their own spiritual leaders, the Trump administration is proposing cuts to foreign aid that directly undermine Tibetans in exile.

Disappointingly, the UK’s response has long been tepidly prioritising trade with China over human rights. A December 2023 parliamentary debate saw Foreign Office Minister Anne-Marie Trevelyan state that the Dalai Lama’s succession is a matter for “the relevant religious authorities.” But without explicit international political opposition, Beijing will continue its efforts to erase Tibetan sovereignty without obstacles.

The Dalai Lama has spent decades advocating a peaceful resolution, yet he clearly understands that after he is gone, the patience of Tibetans has worn thin with the lack of progress.

Part Three: A History of Betrayal – China’s Broken Promises and the Brutal Reality of Occupation

The heart of the book is its historical account of Tibet’s betrayal at the hands of China. He recounts the 1950 invasion, when the People’s Liberation Army crossed the Drichu River and occupied Chamdo. He recalls the crushing disappointment of the 1951 Seventeen-Point Agreement, signed under duress:

“You can imagine my shock.”

Despite early attempts at negotiation—including a 1954 meeting with Mao Zedong—the Dalai Lama soon realised China had no intention of honouring its promises:

“The promises and assurances received in Beijing turned out to be empty.”

The suffering of the Tibetan people worsened in the following decades. The Dalai Lama describes writing directly to Mao three times as Tibetans endured mass repression:

“During the many disasters and unspeakable acts against Tibetans that were to follow, I wrote three times to Chairman Mao, the third time ensuring that my letter was personally delivered. There was never an answer.”

His exile in 1959 marked the beginning of Tibet’s global fight for recognition. Yet, even now, negotiations with Beijing remain futile. His envoy’s talks with Chinese officials between 2002 and 2010 ended with Beijing shutting down all dialogue:

“Our clarification document was presented at the ninth round of discussions in January 2010. It turned out to be the end of the conversation. Formal dialogue has not resumed since.”

The Dalai Lama also reflects on his hopes for Xi Jinping, recalling his father’s opposition to the Tiananmen crackdown and his own mothers reported Buddhist beliefs.

“So I had hopes that President Xi would have more personal empathy for the Tibetan people. In fact, when it was announced that Xi Jinping would visit Delhi in 2014, I even communicated my wish to meet him in person. Unfortunately, nothing came of this gesture.”

China’s stance on Tibet has only hardened, with mass surveillance, arbitrary detentions, and the destruction of Tibetan cultural sites continuing at an alarming rate.

Xi Jinping is clearly prepared to wait out this Dalai Lama before attempting to anoint a Chinese CCP-approved successor, who will not be recognised by Tibetans or western followers.

In 1951, the city of Lhasa had a population of just over 30,000, while the entire Tibetan army consisted of approximately 8,500 soldiers, compared to the invading People’s Liberation Army with more than 80,000 battle-hardened soldiers. The  demographic changes in Tibet show a huge influx of Han Chinese settlers into Tibet. More recently, there are reports that since 2021, up to a million children are being removed from their families to be placed in Mandarin-only boarding schools, and in Kham (eastern Tibet), mass deforestation by China is reported to have destroyed more than 50% of forests. Before the Chinese invasion, there were over 2,500 monasteries in Tibet, but afterward, the Chinese government kept only 70 or so in existence, a reduction of more than 97%. The number of monks and nuns in Tibet also saw a drastic reduction, from about 110,000 to approximately 7,000.

The Dalai Lama is acutely aware that China is playing the long game. Tibetans are being systematically erased from their homeland, and without international pressure, Beijing could achieve its goal.

The Dalai Lama’s gentle approach has kept Tibet’s plight on the world stage, but Tibetans need more than words. The Middle Way Approach—seeking autonomy rather than full independence—was always a compromise, but even this has been rejected by China.

Tibetans continue to resist, whether through direct activism or quiet defiance. Yet, without international support, they face an impossible battle.

The Dalai Lama’s message to the world is clear:

“Finally, regardless of whatever happens, we must never lose faith in humanity.”

But faith alone is not enough. The world must act to save Tibet.