Dalai Lama in Peril as Police Reveal Chinese National Hunting Tibet Leader

Police have been put on high alert as they suspect Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama may be under threat from an attacker, according to reports.

The Sunday Guardian journalist Abinandan Mishra released a picture of the suspect, a Chinese woman named Song Xiaolan.

He added: "Bihar police has released an alert about a suspect Chinese national who is on a mission to attack Dalai Lama who is right now in Bodh Gaya."

The village of Bodh Gaya, in the Indian state of Bihar, is considered one of the most important Buddhist pilgrimage sites.

On Thursday, the Dalai Lama, known as Gyalwa Rinpoche to the Tibetan people, addressed a gathering in the Mahabodhi Temple Complex in Bodh Gaya, according to a Hindustan Times report.

After an alert was issued, security was increased around the temple and more thorough screening of devotees was conducted.

Gaya Senior Superintendant of Police, Harpretty Kaur, said they had been gathering information about the Chinese woman for the last two years. However, they had been unable to locate her during the Dalai Lama's visit to the area.

"Local police has received inputs about a Chinese woman who has been living in Gaya. We were getting inputs on her for the last two years. In view of this, an alert has been given and searches are underway," Kaur told the Asian News International news agency.

"There is no information at present about the location of the Chinese woman. We cannot rule out [the] suspicion of her being a Chinese spy."

Newsweek has contacted China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs for comment.

China and Tibet have had a long history of tension as Beijing considers Tibet to be a region within China while Tibetans sees themselves as belonging to a separate nation.

The Dalai Lama left Tibet during an unsuccessful 1959 uprising against the Chinese government. Since then he has been based in northern India.

In 2018 the Tibetan spiritual leader said that despite the tensions Tibet could remain a part of China.

"Historically and culturally, Tibet has been independent. The region's geography shows where Tibet begins," he said. "So long as the constitution of China recognizes our culture and Tibetan autonomous region's special history, they can remain [part of China]."

He added that Tibet would benefit economically from remaining a part of China while the rest of the China could benefit from greater exposure to Tibet's religion and culture.

China has been accused of "cultural genocide" in Tibet and considers the Dalai Lama a separatist.

Update 12/29/22 03:36 a.m. ET: This article has been updated with background information.