Tibetans challenge China over reincarnation law
DHARAMSALA, INDIA. The democratically-elected Tibetan government-in-exile (TGIE) has challenged China over a new law designed to limit Tibetan Buddhism’s role in identifying reincarnated lamas.
Its purpose is to ensure that future “reincarnations” of “Living Buddhas” – such as the Dalai and Panchen Lamas – are puppets of the Chinese Communist Party rather than independent individuals who support Tibet’s political and religious freedom. But the Tibetans are fighting back.
As reported on this website (Death of reincarnation for Buddhist lamas? 8 August), the so-called “Order No 5”, issued by China’s State Administration of Religious Affairs, concerns “Management Measures for the Reincarnation of ‘Living Buddhas’ in Tibetan Buddhism.”
But the Tibetan parliament, which sees this as yet another attempt to destroy its culture, has passed a resolution appealing to the entire international community to help nullify the law.
The Assembly of Tibetan People’s Deputies (ATPD), in its second annual session, introduced a Bill opposing Order No 5, issued a press statement (28 September) which provides eight reasons why the Order should be fought. It can be read in full here.
There are followers of Tibetan Buddhism in many countries, not just in Tibet, and that alone should be a reason for denying China its desire to control the process of choosing leading lamas that has traditionally been conducted by the religion’s leaders.
The Tibetans point out that freedom of religious belief is supposed to be part of China’s constitution.
The argument that will carry most weight, however, is likely to be this statement by the ATPD:
At the same time, we would like to make an emphatic appeal to the Tibetans in general; and especially to the Tibetan leaders, officials, party cadres and the general public in the so-called Tibet Autonomous Region as well as other Tibetan autonomous prefectures and counties that, as provided for in the PRC’s Law on Regional National Autonomy:
“If a resolution, decision, order or instruction of a state organ at a higher level does not suit the conditions in a national autonomous area, the organ of self-government of the area may ..... cease implementing it after reporting to and receiving the approval of the state organ at a higher level,” they should impress upon their legitimate authorities that this order is not in keeping with the actual prevailing situation of the Tibetan autonomous areas, and so they should be allowed to repudiate, and halt the implementation of this order.
It will certainly be a topic high on the agenda of discussions between President George W. Bush and the Dalai Lama on 17 October when the Tibetan leader will be honoured in front of the White House in Washington. They have met before but not in public.
Bush will bestow the Congressional Gold Medal, the country’s highest civilian honour, on the world’s most famous reincarnation, after which the Dalai Lama will address a crowd that is expected to be many thousands strong.
The bill to award the medal to the Dalai Lama was passed by Congress in September 2006 and will be seen as a significant snub to China.
Speaker of the US House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi, who will preside at the event, said: “The US must continue to be committed to meeting the challenge that Tibet makes to the conscience of the world.”
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