At Kirti Monastery, the monks are preparing for the Dalai Lama’s reincarnation. The dreaded scenario is that of the Panchen Lama’s reincarnation in 1995, when the child was immediately imprisoned by China and disappeared upon being recognised as the successor. “Tibetans can't oppose [the government] without fearing for their lives”, explains the President of the Young Tibetan’s Association, Arya Amipa. “What scares us is China wanting to meddle in the Dalai Lama’s succession process”, he adds. Beijing is adamant they will choose the successor, but will do so in line with their own interests. The Tibetan government hopes for support from Western countries to recognize the one chosen according to Buddhist tradition. Penpa Tsering, the democratically elected president of the government in exile, believes that Western countries “shouldn’t be afraid of the Chinese government: supporting Tibet is supporting truth and justice”. But the shadow of China's economic power looms large.