Permission to come back, sir!

This may be the most intricate intertwining of government and religion you'll ever see:

In one of history's more absurd acts of totalitarianism, China has banned Buddhist monks in Tibet from reincarnating without government permission. According to a statement issued by the State Administration for Religious Affairs, the law, which goes into effect next month and strictly stipulates the procedures by which one is to reincarnate, is "an important move to institutionalize management of reincarnation."

Of course, it's not really absurd at all. China isn't interested in reincarnation. It just wants to keep the Buddhists under tight control. Requiring "permission to reincarnate" essentially means that the next Dalai Lama has to come from China, chosen by the government of China.