London/Dharamsala, May 13
Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama has spoken of a threat to his life from Chinese agents, saying there were reports of Tibetan women being trained to harm him.

The Dalai Lama's office in Dharamsala, where the Tibetan government-in-exile is headquartered, on Sunday confirmed that "there is a threat perception to his life". "His Holiness himself received messages (about the threats)," the Dalai Lama's private secretary Chimme Choekyappa said.

In an interview with the Sunday Telegraph in Britain, the 76-year-old Nobel Peace Prize winner revealed he had received reports from inside Tibet warning that Chinese agents had trained Tibetan women for a mission to poison him while posing as devotees seeking his blessings.

"We received some sort of information from Tibet. Some Chinese agents training some Tibetans, especially women, you see, using poison — the hair poisoned, and the scarf poisoned — they were supposed to seek blessing from me, and my hand touch," he said.

The Tibetan Buddhist leader said he lives within a high security cordon in his temple palace grounds in Dharamsala on the advice of security officials.

Security officials said they were reviewing his security from time to time. "Whenever there is some intelligence input about perceived threats, we review His Holiness' security thoroughly. If any loopholes are found, they are plugged," Director General of Police ID Bhandari said.

He said suspicion of Chinese interference in finding his reincarnation after his death meant he may be the last Dalai Lama and that Tibetans could decide to abandon the institution. A number of young Buddhist monks, including the Karmapa Lama, could emerge as the spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhism, he said. — Agencies