BBC SWB 12 July 1995

The following is a round-up of PRC media reaction to the Dalai Lama's announcement on the reincarnation of the Panchen Lama in India:

Tibet Television on 14th June in its "Regional News Hookup" programme carried an under-minute announcer-read report over video on a forum held by Qamdo County recently in connection with the Dalai Lama's "unauthorized" announcement on the reincarnated child. According to the report, a total of 71 people comprising members of the autonomous regional, prefectural, Qamdo County committees of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, as well as some representatives from the industrial and commercial sectors, were present at the meeting. Participants at the meeting opined: "The Dalai clique has resorted to a new scheme after failing time and again to split the motherland in recent years. Its sudden and unauthorized announcement on the discovery of the 10th Panchen Lama reincarnated child, made in violation of historical convention and religious rituals, is absolutely illegal and invalid." The participants said that "Tibetan people will not agree to the Dalai clique's scheme to achieve its poli tical

aim and disrupt and undermine the search for the reincarnated child at a time when certain progress has been made in relevant work."

The Tibetan newspaper 'Xizang Ribao' on 20th June on page 1 carried a 1,000-character "Statement of the Xigaze Prefectural Buddhist Association", issued on 8th June, on the Dalai Lama's announcement on the reincarnated child. The statement was accompanied by a 200-character editorial note. The five-point statement outlined the historical convention for confirming the reincarnated child, and noted that the Dalai Lama's unauthorized announcement in India of his discovery of the reincarnated child is "illegal and invalid, and we resolutely will not recognize it". The statement also said that the "Dalai Lama should bear the historical responsibility for seriously disrupting the search for and confirmation of the reincarnated child of the Panchen Lama", and other acts. The editorial note said: "The Dalai Lama's evil act has incurred great indignation from people in Tibet's religious circles and the masses." It noted that various temples, monks and people have written letters to the autonomous regional party commi

ttee and people's government or released statements on the issue, and it has decided to release the aforementioned statement to the public.

Tibet television on 23rd June in its "Regional News Hookup" programme carries a 1.5-minute announcer-read report entitled "Splittism Will Not Enjoy Popular Support" in its "Television Forum". The report said: "The sudden announcement by the Dalai Lama in India on 14th May that a child in our region is the reincarnated Panchen is actually blaspheme against religious rituals and historical conventions. The Dalai Lama has continued his splittist activities under a religious banner. But of course, his evil act has met with opposition from the broad masses of people." It said: "The Dalai Lama has brazenly distorted Sakyamuni Buddha's creed, and even fabricated Buddhist scripture by stating that devotees should dedicate themselves to the independence of Tibet. He has repeatedly included Tibet's independence in the religious doctrines he explained and publicized in his lectures on Buddhist scripture. In order to achieve the evil goal of splitting the motherland, the Dala!i has again created disturbances over the is

sue of the Panchen Lama reincarnation. He has seriously disrupted the search for and confirmation of the reincarnated 10th Panchen Lama child, looked down on the authority and dignity of Tibet's Buddhist circles, trampled on the religious sentiment of nuns and devotees, violated the Panchen's consistent wish and attempted to ruin the Panchen's glorious image of patriotism and religious devotion. His political scheme will not succeed."

Tibet television on 6th July in its "Regional News Hookup" programme carried a three-minute announcer-read report over video on a meeting in Lhasa on 5th July of southwest China's five provinces and autonomous regions to coordinate judicial and public security work. According to the report, representatives from Sichuan, Yunnan, Guangxi, Guizhou, 'Fazhi Ribao' and Tibet's judicial and public security fronts were present at the meeting. Raidi, executive deputy secretary of the Tibet autonomous regional party committee and chairman of the autonomous regional people's congress standing committee, addressed the meeting. He noted: "Quite a number of destabilizing factors still exist in Tibet due to certain social and historical factors. The root cause is the splittist and sabotage activities conducted by the Dalai clique." On the Dalai's unauthorized announcement on the reincarnated Panchen Lama child, Raidi said: "This is not a purely religious m!atter. The Dalai's act, which has

violated historical convention and fixed rules as well as religious rituals, is an evil act carried out in disregard of state sovereignty and central authority to undermine national unity and Tibet's political stability by capitalizing on the issue of the Panchen's reincarnation, and it also has seriously disrupted the normal progress of work regarding the Panchen's reincarnation."

Sources.

Tibet Television, Lhasa, in Standard Chinese

14 Jun 95

'Xizang Ribao', Lhasa, in Chinese 20 Jun 95 p 1

Tibet Television, Lhasa, in Standard Chinese 23 Jun 95

Tibet Television, Lhasa, in Standard Chinese 6 Jul 95