Why our media keeps saying Dalai Lama is “ the spiritual and political leader” of the Tibetans ? but?

Question

we know he has not been in Tibet for past 50 years ?

Answer 1

Uh..he can't go home unless he wants to spend the rest of his life in a dungeon.

Answer 2

He is the spiritual leader not only of the Tibetans (inside Tibet/China and in exile), but also of other Tibetan Buddhist peoples, like the Mongols, the Bhutanese, the Ladakhi, Sikkimese and others in India, the Sherpas and others in Nepal, the Buryats, Tuvanese and Kalmucks in Russia, and also of many thousands of converts to Tibetan Buddhism all over Europe, America, Australia and different parts of Asia (including Chinese inside and outside China). The vast majority of Tibetans in Tibet and other parts of China still consider him their leader, despite the Chinese governments repeated efforts to make them denounce him.

The same with his political leadership. Effectively he is just the leader of the Tibetans in exile (in Nepal and India, but also scattered all over America and Europe and some other countries), and also their his position is much weaker than it was from the beginning, since he has consistently worked for democratization of the exile Tibetan community, which now is led by a prime minister and a parliament, both directly elected by the Tibetan people in exile. Most of the Tibetans in Tibet clearly want him to come back as their leader in Tibet again, even if I think they will happily accept his modern democratic and socially radical ideas.

Answer 3

Because that's how the Tibetans themselves see him. But maybe their opinion doesn't count?