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When is a Lama not a Lama....?
When he's appointed by the Chinese government. Seriously, this isn't made up.
Care of Reuters
Reincarnations of "living Buddhas" in Tibet which fail to get Chinese government approval are illegal and invalid, China has announced as it tightens control of a region still deemed loyal to the Dalai Lama.
The regulations coincide with reports from an ethnically Tibetan region of the southwestern province of Sichuan that dozens of people had been arrested for using a traditional festival to call for the return of their exiled spiritual leader.
Critics say China continues to repress Tibetans' religious aspirations, especially their veneration for the Dalai Lama, the Nobel Peace Prize winner whom China denounces as a "separatist."
But the Dalai Lama is already 72 and some have accused China of delaying holding talks with him, waiting for him to die when they would name a new Dalai Lama of their own, loyal to Beijing.
In 1995, the Dalai Lama and China's atheist Communist authorities chose rival reincarnations of the 10th Panchen Lama, who died in 1989. The Panchen Lama is the second highest figure in Tibet's spiritual hierarchy.
The 6-year-old boy anointed by the Dalai Lama swiftly disappeared from public view, leading human rights groups to dub him the world's youngest political prisoner.
The new regulations, which come into force on September 1, are to "regulate the management of the reincarnation of living Buddhas," the State Administration for Religious Affairs said in a statement on its Web site (www.sara.gov.cn).
"Temples which apply for reincarnations of living Buddhas must be legally registered venues for Tibetan Buddhism activities and capable of fostering and offering proper means of support to the living Buddha," it said.
The regulations are to "guarantee citizens freedom of religion and respect Tibetans' tradition of living Buddha succession," it added.
In March, Tibet's Communist Party chief said the party was the remote, mountainous region's real "living Buddha" because, he said, it had brought an improvement in living conditions.
Tibetans still chafe under Beijing's yoke, though.
Radio Free Asia said scores of Tibetans had been arrested in the Sichuan town of Litang after demonstrating for greater religious freedom and the Dalai Lama's return.
A Litang hotel worker reached by telephone said there had been a small protest, quickly brought under control.
But a government official in Litang said he had no knowledge of a protest and declined further comment.
In 2002, a Tibetan lama was sentenced to death for a series of explosions in Litang and Chengdu, the Sichuan provincial capital.
Story released 2007/08/03
This reads very much like something out of Mao's time. Then, as now, You have to ask yourself 2 questions:
1) What on Earth does China's secular Han government known about the true reincarnations of Tibetan Lama?
2) By what right does Beijing do this?
This is among the most blatant interferences in religious affairs that this blogger has seen in a good long while. Even if you do not believe in reincarnation, and even if you don't give a hoot about the desecration of Tibetan culture; which is entirely your right, you have to feel sorry for the poor children that Beijing will choose as "true" reincarnations. They will be taken from the world, kept as virtual prisoner and forcefully "educated" in the ways of Han - As was done with the Beijing's candidate for the 11th Panchan Lama - without regard to their feelings or rights.
Let China control everything and anything IN China... Same thing as the
U.S. is trying to control everything it can in the world or at least have
an influence on it. So called American Interests.
I agree that the Chinese government's actions in Tibet are deplorable on a
range of levels - and most especially on freedom of religion, freedom of
assembly and freedom of expression. However, your point about the
indoctrination and isolation of the government appointed lamas needs a bit
of qualification. Remember that if there was freedom of religion the
children annointed lamas by the Tibetan clergy would still be taken away
and subject to a pretty fierce form of indoctrination and isolation. Of
course if one believes they really are the reincarnation of a centuries old
religious leader then that's perfectly acceptable, but...
"Let China control everything and anything IN China..."
'Duncan' , just to be clear, the "indoctrination" that would be given to a
young Lama is rather different from that which would be given to a Beijing
appointee. For starters, they are not being programmed to destroy their own
culture like some kind of sleeper agent.