China’s Panchen Lama vows to uphold ‘glorious tradition’ of patriotism
Youth named by China as second-highest figure in Tibetan Buddhism is dismissed by many Tibetans
A youth named by China as the second-highest figure in Tibetan Buddhism, but reviled as a fake by many Tibetans, has pledged to uphold the “glorious tradition” of patriotism that holders of his position have followed, state news agency Xinhua reported.
Although officially atheist, China selected Gyaltsen Norbu as the 11th Panchen Lama in 1995 in a drive to win the hearts and minds of Tibetans.
Tibet’s current spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, whom Beijing brands a dangerous separatist, had announced his own choice of a six-year-old boy, but he was taken away by authorities and has since vanished from public view.
When meeting Sun Chunlan, head of the United Front Work Department which helps oversee religious groups, China’s Panchen Lama said he would work hard to maintain the country’s and ethnic unity, Xinhua said late on Friday.
He will “resolutely endorse comrade Xi Jinping as the core of the Communist Party, endorse socialism with Chinese characteristics and continue the glorious tradition of Panchen Lamas in the history of loving the country and loving religion”, Xinhua paraphrased him as saying.
He would not fail to live up to the expectations of the party and contribute to promoting Tibetan Buddhism and socialism, the report added.