Jangpa Chung la dies, had recognised Tibet’s Panchen Lama
On 17 May 1995, Jangpa Chung la and Chadrel Jampa Trinley Rinpoche were arrested at Chengdu Airport. They were respectively the secretary and the head of Search Committee for the Reincarnation of the Panchen Lama. They were charged with “endangering national security and leaking state secrets” and were given six and four year sentences respectively.
The second most important figure in Tibetan Buddhism, the Panchen Lama is tasked, following the death of the Dalai Lama, with searching and recognising the latter’s reincarnation.
The current Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso, recognised young Gedhun Choekyi Nyima as Panchen Lama on 14 May 1995 thanks to the search of the two lamas he sent to Tibet. Soon after, Chinese police abducted the six-year-old boy and his family. They have not been heard of ever since.
As part of its policy of tight controls over Tibet’s religious life, China “chose” Gyaltsen Norbu as the “real” Panchen Lama in November 1995.
Recently Norbu entered China’s political life, by taking part in the activities of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, which advises the National People’s Congress, China’s parliament.
In order to avoid that the next Dalai Lama share the same fate, the current Dalai Lama said that he would retire from all political functions within six months. He also said that his reincarnation will probably “appear outside Tibet”.
In today’s Chinese edition of the People’s Daily, the Buddhist leader was attacked in an editorial article, which described him as the “leader of Tibet’s failed revolt,” who “muddies the waters and tries to stir a Chinese province."
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