Dharamsala, 11 November, - On 4 November, the Chinese authorities summoned 75 hand-picked Tibetan cadres and lamas from all over the "Tibet Autonomous Region" and other Tibetan areas of Kham and Amdo for a secret meeting, starting on 5 November in Beijing.

The Tibetan Government in Exile has learned from reliable sources that during the secret meeting, many high lamas strongly voiced the opinion that Gedhun Choekyi Nyima, the 6-year-old boy recognised by His Holiness the Dalai Lama should be included in the list of the candidates with the other three boys.

On this point, Sengchen Lobsang Gyaltsen and other party officials said that the three candidates had already been decided by the Chinese Government and no additional name would be accepted. Sengchen Lobsang Gyaltsen recently replaced Chadrel Rinpoche, as the head of the search committee for the Panchen Lama's reincarnation and as the abbot of Tashilhunpo monastery. He last ruled the Tashilhunpo monastery during the Cultural Revolution and is a hardliner committed to a crackdown on anti-Chinese dissent.

Sengchen Lobsang Gyaltsen and other party officials said that the Dalai Lama's recognition of the Panchen Lama is illegal and not in keeping with the customs and traditions of Tibet. As such they said they will not accept the Dalai Lama - recognised Panchen Lama. They denounced Chadrel Rinpoche, saying that what he did ----- cooperating with the Dalai Lama in the search for the new Panchen Lama was an act of splitting the motherland. They demanded that Chadrel Rinpoche must be dealt severely according to the law of the land.

At the meeting principal speakers were Sengchen Lobsang Gyaltsen, the deputy chairman of Tashilhunpo Democratic Management Committee, and Phun-la, the vice-chairman of the Democratic Management Committee and 20 Beijing-hand-picked monks from the Tashi Lhunpo monastery.

The participants were yesterday called for a photo session with Jiang Zemin, the President of China, at the Great Hall of the People.

The conference is expected to conclude today - 11 November 1995.

Tempa Tsering

Secretary