Tibet Post International
December 2, 2015
Zhu Weiqun, chairman of the ethnic and religious affairs committee of the top advisory body to China’s parliament. Photo: Staterun Media Xinhua
Dharamshala — The “reincarnation” of the Dalai Lama had never been a “purely religious matter” and the search for reincarnation is part of China’s “sovereignty” over Tibet, a hardliner in the Communist Party of China claimed, saying China will never give up, the right to decide the question of reincarnation of the Dalai Lama.
An article written by Zhu Weiqun, the Director of the CCP’s United Front Work Department who was known for his hardline position against the Dalai Lama and Tibetan culture in the “China Tibet Online,” did not make a religious comment about reincarnations of Mao and Deng Xioping, but reiterated the CCP’s determination to choose the reincarnation of all Tibetan trulkus, “in order to ensure victory in the anti-separatist battle ” in Tibet.
“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,” said Zhu.
“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,” Zhu claimed, saying “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.”
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,” Zhu continued, “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.”
“Even in the case of the Tenth Dalai Lama, the authentic reincarnation had already been found and in reality this procedure was not followed, but in order to humour the Manchus it was merely announced that this procedure had been observed,” according to His Holiness’ official website.
“The Golden Urn system was actually used only in the cases of the Eleventh and Twelfth Dalai Lamas. However, the Twelfth Dalai Lama had already been recognized before the procedure was employed. Therefore, there has only been one occasion when a Dalai Lama was recognized by using this method,” it said.
The article further claims that the Dalai Lama was originally also the political leader of Tibet, Zhu continued, “anyone who has the title of Dalai Lama will have the political power in the region. For this reason, from long ago, the central government has never given up, and will never give up, the right to decide the question of reincarnation of the Dalai Lama”.
The spiritual leader of Tibet, His Holiness the Dalai Lama has repeatedly commented about his reincarnation, saying only the Dalai Lama has the authority to decide and no one else has the right to decide.
“As early as 1960, I have made it clear – ‘officially’ that it is up to the Tibetan people whether Dalai Lama institution should continue or not.” His Holiness has commented that “he is not in a hurry” to decide on the reincarnation issue, the Nobel peace laureate pointed out that the Communist Party of China was seemingly more concerned about his reincarnation.
“Today, Chinese government considers religion as a poison and they consider me as a demon. So, I would be a demon reincarnation. This is nonsense,” His Holiness said, adding: “If Chinese government believe in rebirth and religion, then they should start it from the reincarnation of Mao and Deng Xioping’s reincarnation.”
Zhu like Zhou Yongkang, former Public Security Minister, is one of CCP hard-liners, who openly criticized His Holiness the Dalai Lama, the real source of peace and happiness in the hearts and minds of Tibetan people. Zhu who is also a hardliner creating an atmosphere of pervasive hostility to the Tibetan cultural identity once said, “The fact is that the fate and future of Tibet are in the hands of the Chinese.”
Zhou was previously the Party chief of Sichuan province (1999-2002), presiding over the sentencing to death of a well-known and respected Tibetan lama, Tenzin Deleg Rinpoche and gaining a reputation for his hardline approach against dissent and Tibetan culture. He also engaged in a comprehensive cover-up of the torture, disappearances and killings that have taken place across Tibet.
In 2008, Zhang Qingli, then the Party chief of the TAR, called the Dalai Lama “a wolf in monk’s robes, a devil with a human face but the heart of a beast”— which worsened the relationship between Chinese and Tibetans while creating more distrust, more fear and more problems in the Himalayan region.
Many critics, including Chinese intellectuals say Beijing is beginning to realize, that its hardline policies in Tibet — whether they have generated economic growth or not — have failed to win the hearts and minds of the Tibetan people. The regime in Beijing may even be coming to the realisation that its hard-line policies in Tibet are making China less secure both internally and externally by creating fear and anger among Tibetans and others around the world.
