China says missing Panchen Lama is
'living a normal life'
September 6, 2015
SUI-LEE WEE The Star
He denounced the Dalai Lama for declaring the boy as the
reincarnation of the Panchen Lama, saying the selection "ignored
historical customs and destroyed religious
rituals".
BEIJING (Reuters) - A young Tibetan who vanished two
decades ago after he was chosen by the Dalai Lama as the
second-highest figure in Tibetan Buddhism is "living a normal life"
and does not want to be disturbed, a senior Chinese official said
on Sunday.
The remarks are a rare admission of the fate of
Gendun Choekyi Nyima, now 26, who was six years old when he was
taken away after exiled spiritual leader the Dalai Lama named him
as the Panchen Lama.
This year marks the 20th anniversary of the
disappearance of Gendun Choekyi Nyima, whose fate remains of deep
concern to many Tibetans.
"The reincarnated child Panchen Lama you mentioned
is being educated, living a normal life, growing up healthily and
does not wish to be disturbed," said Norbu Dunzhub, a member of the
Tibet Autonomous Region's United Front Work Department, in response
to a question from Reuters at a press conference.
"The identification was done without authorisation.
It was illegal and invalid," Norbu Dunzhub said.
Though officially atheist, the Chinese Communist
Party has long maintained that Gendun Choekyi Nyima is not the real
Panchen Lama. In 1995, in a bid to win the hearts and minds of the
Tibetans, the government selected Gyaltsen Norbu as the 11th
Panchen Lama. He is reviled by many Tibetans as a fake.
The Dalai Lama and China have repeatedly tussled
over who has final authority on the issue of reincarnation.
Tibetans fear that China will use the issue of the Dalai Lama's
succession to split Tibetan Buddhism, with one new Dalai Lama named
by exiles and one by the government after his death.
"No matter what the Dalai Lama says or does, the
central government's recognised rights toward reincarnation cannot
be denied," Norbu Dunzhub said.
In a policy document on the "Successful Practice of
Regional Ethnic Autonomy in Tibet", the government condemned the
Dalai Lama for "plotting towards Tibetan independence".
The Dalai Lama denies seeking independence, saying
he only wants genuine autonomy for Tibet, something he calls the
Middle Way. Beijing believes that concept is merely a smokescreen
for independence.
Chinese troops marched into Tibet in 1950. Activists
say China has violently tried to stamp out religious freedom and
culture in Tibet. China rejects the criticism, saying its rule has
ended serfdom and brought development to a backward
region.