Days before his 90th birthday, the Dalai Lama announced his successor will be chosen by “free Tibetans” and the Gaden Phodrang Trust, asserting that the institution of the Dalai Lama will continue, defying Chinese interference. Days before his 90th birthday, the Dalai Lama announced his successor will be chosen by “free Tibetans” and the Gaden Phodrang Trust, asserting that the institution of the Dalai Lama will continue, defying Chinese interference.