A younger Tibetan who vanished 20 years in the past after he was chosen by the Dalai Lama because the second-highest determine in Tibetan Buddhism is “dwelling a traditional life” and doesn’t need to be disturbed, a senior Chinese language official stated on Sunday.

The remarks were made at a press conference ahead of the 50 anniversary of the Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR), where the official also added that had it not being for Beijing’s intervention, Tibetans would have remained in the “dark age” of medieval practices and slavery.

“So, no matter what the Dalai Lama says or does, he can not deny the central government’s right to confirm the new reincarnation”, he said.

“The identification was executed with out authorization”. In 1995, 6-year-old Gyaltsen Norbu was named the 11th Panchen Lama. He is reviled by many Tibetans as a fake. The issue of the selection is becoming increasingly important as the Dalai Lama ages – he turns 80 this year – raising the prospect of Beijing seeking to name its own successor to the exiled spiritual leader. According to CTA, China’s internal assessment that it can not rule Tibet forever without the legitimizing influence of Dalai Lama over the Tibetan people is also behind the move.

There are reports that Beijing may want to choose the next Dalai Lama and this is a cause for worry as it may divide Tibetan Buddhism, with two Dalai Lama’s: one revered at home and the other by Tibetans in exile. The official was responding to an interview by the New York Times with the 14th Dalai Lama, who said “the CPC is pretending that they know more about the reincarnation system than Dalai Lama”. China CTA has prepared a 31-page report in response to China’s White Paper on Tibet claiming that the legitimacy of the14th Dalai Lama of Tibet rests on China’s recognition and approval. He calls the system the Middle Way.

Beijing’s explanation has fallen short of requests by the United Nations and human rights groups to explain where he is, said Matteo Meccaci, president of the global Campaign for Tibet in Washington D.C.

The Chinese government held a ceremony marking 50 years since it established Tibet as an ethnic autonomous region on Tuesday, lauding its economic successes while activists criticized its record on human rights.