Published by: World Tibet Network News, Sunday, Jun 2, 1996

Text of report by Chinese regional TV from Tibet

Accompanied by Sangzhu, standing committee member of the autonomous regional party committee and secretary of Xigaze [Shigatse] prefectural party committee, and other comrades, Chen Kuiyuan, secretary of the autonomous regional party committee, inspected Sagya Lamasery on 30th May and made an important speech at a forum in the lamasery.

Chen Kuiyuan and his entourage first toured major halls and watched cultural relics of the lamasery, then held a forum with the responsible person in charge of the lamasery's committee for democratic administration and representatives of monks. After hearing a briefing by Bandian Dunyu, chairman of the committee for democratic administration of Sagya Lamasery, and Senior (?Caretaker) Luzhujiacu, Chen Kuiyuan noted: Sagya Lamasery is an advanced patriotic and law-abiding lamasery in Tibet. The lamasery and its abbot Basba have made significant contributions to the great cause of the unification of the motherland in history. While all nationalities are enjoying equality and freedom of religion in the big family of socialist motherland under the CCP leadership today, Sagya Lamasery should play a new and bigger role.

Buddhism has been advocating equality for all living creatures, charitable deeds and benevolence. Buddhist temples should conscientiously train professional monks and let them devote themselves to the study of scriptures. The greater their attainment in religious study and Buddhist philosophy the better.

Personnel in temples should be educated and ruled by Buddhist discipline and commandments. Meanwhile, the lofty ideas and good ethics of Buddhism should be used to influence religious believers, so that the position and authority of temples will become greater in the minds of the government and people.

In China, freedom of religion, places for religious activities and normal religious activities are protected by state laws. The state is very concerned about religious places, particularly one like Sagya Lamasery, which has a long history and has made significant contributions to the state.

Patriotic personnel from religious circles, who do a good job in safeguarding the unification of the motherland, fighting the Dalai's splittist clique, and administering temples according to laws, will receive greater respect and concern from the state and people.

The party's policy towards religion can be summarized as follows: Whatever one should do as required by his religion should be done; whatever the state laws do not allow will not be permitted. There will be no contradiction if one earnestly abides by the Buddhist rules and doctrines.

Judging from the Dalai's behaviour which brought disaster to Tibet and the religion, the Dalai clique is not only illegal, but also has betrayed Buddhism.

Chen Kuiyuan said: We will continue to show concern and support to patriotic temples as usual, and will call for strengthening control over those engaging in harmful and sabotaging activities and truly turn them into peaceful and quiet places as described in Buddhism. I hope Sagya Lamasery will carry forward its tradition of loving the country and religion and supporting unity and progress; maintain its good prestige; do a better job in temple administration, cultural relic preservation, spreading Buddhist teachings and fighting splittism; and set an example for other temples.

Sangzhu, standing committee member of the autonomous regional party committee and secretary of Xigaze prefectural party committee, said at the forum: All lamaseries, including Sagya Lamasery, and the masses of monks in the county must conscientiously study and thoroughly grasp the guidelines in Secretary Chen's speech and further strengthen administration of lamaseries, preservation of cultural relics and other work. Laba Pingcuo, vice-chairman of the autonomous regional people's government, and Jiangba Gadeng, chairman of the autonomous regional commission of nationalities and religious affairs, also toured Sagya Lamasery and attended the forum. [video shows Chen Kuiyuan and his entourage touring the lamasery and watching Buddha statue and scrolls guided by a lama and holding a forum with several lamas present in a hall]

Source: Tibet TV, Lhasa, in Standard Chinese 1200 gmt 31 May 96