Dec. 8 will mark the 20th anniversary of the enthronement of the 11th Panchen Lama. This event from 20 years ago reflects the Chinese Central Government’s decision-making power over Tibet’s sovereignty and the reincarnation of rinpoches. Similar to the Dalai Lama, the establishment of the Panchen Lama’s historical lineage and the search for reincarnation is part of China’s sovereignty.

On Jan. 28, 1989, the 10th Panchen Lama passed away in Shigatse. On Jan. 30 the State Council made a decision to start searching for the reincarnation soul boy of the 10th Panchen Lama. But the Dalai separatist group openly confronted the Central Government claiming that the designation of the next Panchen Lama was entirely his "responsibility", and that it was illegal to put together a "search team". In early 1995, the Dalai Lama betrayed the 10th Panchen Lama’s wishes and announced his own appointment of "the reincarnation of the Panchen Lama". This once again exposes his true colors as separating the country and deviating from the Tibetan Buddhist tradition.

In early November 1995 the leading Panchen reincarnation search team expressed unequivocal opposition of the evil acts of the Dalai Lama and decided to decide on the soul boy candidate as soon as possible. Since the enthronement, the 11th Panchen Lama has grown up healthily, and through guidance from Tibetan Buddhist masters, his accomplishments in Tibetan Buddhism have continued to rise as well as his influence at home and abroad.

In recent years the 14th Dalai Lama has talked more proactively and frequently about his own reincarnation. Although the Dalai Lama adopts a "playful" attitude toward such a serious issue, he still insists that "only the Dalai Lama himself can decide on the Dalai Lama reincarnation and it has nothing to do with the Central Government". His reason is that the "atheist Communist Party of China cannot make decisions on matters related to religion."

However, historical facts show that determining the existence of the Dalai lineage and reincarnation of the Dalai Lama had never been a purely religious matter, neither the individual rights of the Dalai Lamas themselves. Rather, it is an important political affair of the Tibet local government and an important manifestation of the Central Government's exercise of sovereignty over Tibet. Furthermore, the title of the Dalai Lama first appeared in 1653 when Qing Emperor Shunzhi of the Qing Dynasty(1644-1911 A.D.) conferred to the Fifth Dalai Lama and the status was officially confirmed from this point. The 14th Dalai Lama himself was chosen through approval from the National Government at the time to exempt the drawing-lot ritual and sending an official to preside over the enthronement ceremony. If there weren’t approval from the Central Government, the little boy named Lhamo Thondup from Huangzhong County of Qinghai Province would have been a lifelong ordinary farmer.

In 1959, the Old Tibet’s theocratic feudalist system was completely abolished, but the Dalai clique’s constant dream of restoring the old system is still here. The influence of the old system is still present and separatist ideas and activities have never stopped. Therefore, instead of weakening its resolve toward reincarnation of rinpoches, the Central Government must strengthen it and ensure victory over its fight against separatists.

(The author Zhu Weiqun, Director of CPPCC Ethnic and Religious Committee)