China’s Annual Tibetan Ritual: Are these enough?

Every year this time, when the annual sessions of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) and the National People’s Congress (NPC) are held, we can see some activities in Beijing relating to Tibet.

This time one such event is the “approval” of the membership of the boy (now man), Gyaltsen Norbu la, that the Chinese have selected as the Panchen Lama. In a terse report, Xinhua said on February 28, “The 11th Panchen Lama Bainqen Erdini Qoigyijabu was among 13 people who on Sunday became new members of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), the country’s top advisory body.

“Their memberships were approved by a meeting of the Standing Committee of the CPPCC National Committee, which closed on Sunday.”

In order to really draw our attention to the significance of this development there were subsequent reports with enticing headlines like “Tibet official hails Panchen Lama’s new position,” “Foreign media focus on 11th Panchen Lama’s new position,” and “Living Buddhas confident of 11th Panchen’s new position.”

First of all, leaving aside the controversy over who the true Panchen Lama is (Gedhun Choekyi Nyima will always be in our hearts), it is good that another Tibetan gets a position, even if it is just a nominal position in a nominal body like the CPPCC. This is because even though the political problem of Tibet cannot be solved through such cosmetic changes, if such individuals do seize the opportunity then there is space for them to really do something useful for the Tibetan people through such appointments. This is clearly shown by the previous Panchen Lama’s life.

This brings me to another aspect of the issue. Gyaltsen Norbu la has grown physically over the years, bespectacled with a tinge of mustache (I thought). I am not a reader of faces nor even a psychologist, but the photos that I see of him appear to me as if he is aware of (may be even burdened by) the heavy responsibility thrust on him, like he is constantly under guard. I am not talking about religious responsibilities, but since he is now being thrust forward as a “Tibetan leader” he has very big shoes to fill: those of the much beloved previous Panchen Lama. The spirit of the previous Panchen Lama as an individual who gained the respect of the Tibetan people will always be there. It is only through concrete action (and not through politicized praises by stooges of Beijing) that Gyaltsen Norbu la can show he is a Tibetan who has the real interests of the Tibetan people in his heart, and that he is not a puppet of a political system.

Truth be told, as of now he does not enjoy the confidence nor the reverence of the Tibetan people (the Chinese government knows this and so is constantly trying to find ways to impress the Tibetan people, including highlighting his tri-lingual capabilities) no matter how many photos and videos that the authorities may show of Tibetan people revering him. Spiritual faith comes from the heart and not through arranged photo ops. Therefore, the jury is out on which direction he is heading. This is also a challenge to Beijing.

Another development around this time is the statements by CPPCC and NPC officials relating to Tibet. Just as one favorite dish in Chinese cuisine is “sweet and sour” soup, I can identify both traits in the statements. The sour part is the need for some of the officials to launch vitriolic attacks against His Holiness the Dalai Lama, which only reflects their lack of self-confidence. Actually the term “political monk” that one Chinese official used this time to refer to His Holiness can be applied 100 percent to Gyaltsen Norbu la, since even his religious duties are now politicized. In any case, if the Tibetan issue could be done away with hateful words the Chinese government itself would have succeeded in doing so in the early 1960s.

The somewhat sweet part that I tried to discern from the statements includes the reference to “developing Tibetan medicine and pharmacology, and developing water conservancy and hydroelectricity in Tibet, with the goal of doing something substantive to improve the working and living conditions of ethnic minorities” in the report by CPPCC Chairman Jia Qinglin. Jia also talked about “strive to achieve leapfrog development and lasting stability in Tibet and Tibetan ethnic areas in Sichuan, Yunnan, Gansu and Qinghai provinces.”

I hope when these annual rituals are completed the Chinese officials will sit down, and think seriously about how their policies are hurting the national sentiments of the Tibetan people. I hope they can size up the situation, forego their illusions and understand that the true meaning of “leapfrog development” for the Tibetan people is not jumping across (and ignoring the reality of the situation), but taking leaps with an understanding of the basic needs of the Tibetan people.

The CPPCC session has just started while the NPC session is yet to begin and we are already seeing quite a few references to Tibet from Beijing. Dare I say, methinks the lady doth protest too much!

PHOTO: Gyaltsen Norbu (R) seen sitting with Ye Xiaowen (L), the former Director of the State Administration for Religious Affairs, in a Xinhua stock image dated March 29, 2009.