This unusual author, who appears to be a zoologist, provides an interesting historical report on the controversial Dalai Lama and Tibet.
Whenever the Dalai Lama shows up anywhere in the US (for example, see this) he is regarded as something like a saint: schools teaching is suspended, the students are bused to hear him speak, and he is sure to be rewarded with widespread, adoring media coverage. Because of a dearth of information about Tibet and this Buddhist priest other than obvious propaganda, I know very little about this phenomenon except that he has been used by the CIA in operations against Communist China. Thus, I have little basis to evaluate this author's brief history except that it has a ring of authenticity to it. (Actually, some memories of mine are coming back of reports I read a long time ago which conform to his description of the history of the Buddhist sect's religious rule of Tibet.)
...the CIA created the myth of the “father of the nation” fighting for the “freedom” of Tibet. The Dalai Lama may have ceased to be politically important, but the myth created around him survives.
