Dharamshala (Himachal Pradesh) [India], October 15 (ANI): Chinese authorities reportedly compelled thousands of Tibetans, including monks, nuns, and prominent lamas such as the 7th Gunthang Rinpoche, the Sakya abbot, and the Sera abbot, to participate in a Kalachakra empowerment led by Gyaltsen Norbu, the state-appointed Panchen Lama, commonly referred to by Tibetans as the ‘fake Panchen’, according to Phayul.
The four-day religious event was held from October 9 to 12 at the Kyi-kyi Nakha site of Tashi Lhunpo Monastery, the traditional residence of the Panchen Lamas in Shigatse. Authorities have previously mandated attendance at Gyaltsen Norbu’s teachings. In 2016, he conducted a similar Kalachakra ceremony at Dechen Phodrang near Tashi Lhunpo Monastery, which sparked controversy after reports indicated that Chinese officials had financially incentivised some Tibetans and coerced others into attending.
During the recent event, the city experienced heightened security and surveillance, with a significant presence of police and military personnel. Officers posing as medical staff were reportedly observed overseeing and managing the crowd. Observers say the ceremony underscores the Chinese Communist Party’s ongoing efforts to elevate a religious figure aligned with its political interests, amid a broader campaign of spiritual oppression in Tibet, including restrictions on Tibetans travelling abroad to attend the Dalai Lama’s teachings.
A major Kalachakra empowerment granted by the Dalai Lama in Ladakh in 2014 was condemned by Chinese state media as an event that “provoked hatred, terror, and extremist actions.” Similarly, after the Dalai Lama’s Kalachakra teachings in India in 2012, many Tibetans who returned to Tibet faced detention, prolonged “re-education” programs, and accusations of anti-state sentiment, according to Phayul.
Gyaltsen Norbu was installed by Chinese authorities as part of Beijing’s strategy to strengthen control over Tibet and influence the succession of the Dalai Lama. He is expected to fulfil the role of the “official” Panchen Lama, a state-sanctioned religious leader loyal to the Chinese Communist Party.
He was selected by the CCP after the legitimate 11th Panchen Lama, Gendun Choekyi Nyima, recognised by the exiled Dalai Lama and honoured by Tibetans as the true incarnation, was forcibly disappeared in 1995. Nearly three decades later, there is still no reliable information about his whereabouts or well-being, the report highlighted. (ANI)
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