(China Focus Face to Face) The U.S. "Tibet Act" has no right to interfere in the reincarnation of Tibetan Buddhist Living Buddhas
China News Service, Beijing, January 14th, title: The US "Tibet Act" has no right to interfere in the reincarnation of Tibetan Buddhist living Buddhas-an interview with Zhu Weiqun, former executive vice minister of the United Front Work Department of the CPC Central Committee
China News Agency reporter Lu Mei
A few days ago, the 2021 fiscal year comprehensive appropriation bill and other bill packages passed by the United States included a 20-page "Tibet Policy and Support Act of 2020."
What is the purpose of the United States playing the "Tibet card" again?
What is the historical customization of the reincarnation of living Buddhas in Tibetan Buddhism?
Zhu Weiqun, former executive vice minister of the United Front Work Department of the CPC Central Committee and director of the Ethnic and Religious Committee of the 12th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, accepted an exclusive interview with China News Agency "China Focus Face-to-face" for authoritative interpretation.
Excerpts from the interview are as follows:
Reporter from China News Service: Based on your long-term work experience, what is the background of this bill?
Zhu Weiqun: The
so-called "Tibet Policy and Support Act of 2020" seriously interferes in China's internal affairs and completely violates international law and internationally accepted norms of conduct and principles recognized by peace-loving people. We will do our best to support the Dalai clique's attempt to split China. It's a very bad bill.
This bill inherited the first Tibet-related bill signed by President Bush Jr. in 2002, and only made some "modifications and reauthorizations." It can be seen that the United States' support to the Dalai clique's attempt to split China and mess up China has been consistent and unchanged.
The United States introduced the bill at this time, the biggest background is its ambition to dominate the world.
To realize "America first", we must establish an "enemy", this is China.
Tibet is regarded by the United States as China’s "soft underbelly." Therefore, for several years, the United States has always regarded messing up Tibet, separating Tibet from China, and supporting the Dalai clique's separatist and sabotage activities as their important grasp of dealing with a rising and developing China. hand.
There are some new specific circumstances that have also prompted this bill to intensify.
One of the backgrounds is that the Dalai Lama is very old.
After the Dalai Lama, how to keep this separatist group from disintegrating and continuing to be an enemy of China has become a real problem for those in power in the United States.
The second background is that the "Tibetan Administrative Center" of the Dalai clique's pseudo-government will change in 2021.
The Dalai clique is now in chaos. How to keep its stall and continue to operate is also an urgent issue for the United States.
The third background is that the United States is about to enter a new fiscal year. To use the Dalai Group, it must first financially ensure its survival, and must complete the funding process at this juncture.
Looking at this bill from the beginning, any fair person will smell a very strong message from it, which is a strong anti-China sentiment.
The measures it has formulated clearly indicate that the United States will continue to support the Dalai clique in the next step and create trouble for China in Tibet.
Dealing with the Dalai clique's next separatist activities, including the spread of their separatist ideas, various sabotage activities that disrupt social stability, and the creation of conflicts and problems on the reincarnation of the Dalai Lama, the situation will have a certain degree of seriousness.
We cannot take it lightly.
Data map: Potala Palace.
Photo by China News Agency reporter He Penglei
China News Agency reporter: Why did China's Tibet affairs appear in the US bill? What is the key content of this bill? What is its purpose?
Zhu Weiqun:
Tibet's affairs are Chinese affairs.
Tibet has been a part of China since ancient times, and the Dalai Lama’s reincarnation affairs are part of China’s internal affairs, which should not be criticized by foreigners.
The United States has worked so hard on this issue and invested so much money to engage in long-arm jurisdiction and long-arm sanctions. It is really unreasonable and very shameful.
This bill has been concocted for a long time. Especially in the past year, the repeated amendments have been intensively conducted. It can be seen that the US Congress and the US government have worked hard on this bill.
The content is very complex, mainly focusing on the following aspects:
The first is that the propaganda and dissemination of the 14th Dalai Lama's wishes should play a key role in selecting, educating and honoring the future 15th Dalai Lama.
Attempting to say that the reincarnation of the Dalai Lama can only be determined by the Dalai Lama. The purpose is to continue to control the name of the Dalai Lama by his small foreign group after the death of the 14th Dalai Lama and serve their separatism. .
The second is to support the continued existence of the so-called "Tibetan Administrative Center", to become the "communist" of Tibetans in exile abroad, and to unify various separatist forces under its banner.
This purpose is very explicit in this project.
The third is an attempt to oppress and deceive the Chinese government to agree to the so-called "Tibetan Administrative Center" as a party to participate in the past contacts and negotiations between the Chinese Central Government and the personal representatives of the Dalai Lama.
If this rule can be realized, it will mean that the nature of contact and discussion has changed. The so-called contact and discussion will become a way for the Dalai clique to split China, mess up China, and mess up people's thinking.
The fourth is to strengthen the role of the US "Special Coordinator for Tibet" and require him to directly interfere in China's internal affairs.
This "coordinator" we do not recognize and ignore him at all, and it is impossible for him to play any role.
Fifth is the stubborn insistence that the Chinese government is not allowed to set up new consulates anywhere in the United States before the People’s Republic of China allows the United States to set up a consulate in Lhasa.
Originally, it was normal to establish consulates in each other to develop Sino-US relations.
The issue of setting up a consulate and the Dalai Lama has never been linked.
In order to put pressure on us and infiltrate its influence into Tibet, the US government has come up with this method. In fact, it is trying to locate a stronghold in Lhasa that supports Dalai's separatist activities.
The sixth is to impose sanctions and restrictions on our officials and party members involved in Tibet.
The above is the special concern of the United States in the bill.
However, if you want to impose these on China, it will inevitably end in failure, and there is no possibility of realization in the future.
Zhu Weiqun, former executive vice minister of the United Front Work Department of the CPC Central Committee and director of the Ethnic and Religious Committee of the 12th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, accepted an exclusive interview with China News Agency "Focus on China".
Photo by China News Agency reporter Jiang Qiming
China News Service reporter: How did the Dalai Lama's lineage be formed and established in history? What is the relationship between the reincarnation of the Dalai Lama and the Chinese central government?
Zhu Weiqun:
Deciding the survival and reincarnation of the Dalai Lama's lineage has never been a purely religious issue, let alone the personal power of past Dalai Lamas, but a major political issue involving the local belonging of Tibet.
Managing the continuation and reincarnation of the Dalai Lama's lineage is an important manifestation of the Chinese central government's sovereignty over Tibet.
In history, the title of Dalai was originally granted by the secular power of Mongolian tribes.
During the Shunzhi emperor of the Qing Dynasty, he confirmed the fifth Dalai Lama and gave it the title, and since then established the position and influence of the Dalai Lama's lineage.
In this sense, it can be said that the inheritance, power, and status of the Dalai lineage are all granted by the Chinese central government.
The old Tibet implemented a unified system of administration and religion. Whoever served as the Dalai Lama actually had the highest administrative power in the region.
This is an extraordinary power that involves national security and unity.
Therefore, the central government of China has strictly managed the establishment of the Dalai Lama and his behavior.
Whether it is in terms of the management of religious affairs or the state's sovereignty over Tibet, the central governments of all dynasties in China have been unambiguous in this matter, and there is no room for ambiguity.
In 1793, Emperor Qianlong, the central government of the Qing Dynasty, repelled the invasion of foreign enemies and promulgated the Twenty-Nine Articles of Regulations for Rehabilitation in Tibet. This is a very important document.
The Chinese central government clearly stipulated the reincarnation norms of the Dalai Lama and the Panchen Lama, and in particular promulgated the golden lotus system.
This combines religious rituals with political historical customization.
Since the release of the "After-Rehabilitation Regulations", regarding the reincarnation of living Buddhas (part 1), especially the reincarnation of large living Buddhas such as the Dalai Lama and the Panchen Lama, the highest authority of the central government has been fully demonstrated. The inheritance of Tibetan Buddhism and its activities have been incorporated into China Effective management by the central government.
Data map: On August 22, 2020, the 11th Panchen Lama visited the Ba Cang Monastery in Baqing County. The Ba Cang Monastery welcomed the Panchen Lama with the highest etiquette.
Photo by China News Agency reporter He Penglei
Reporter from China News Service: Will the Dalai Lama decide the reincarnation of the future Dalai Lama? According to records, the 14th Dalai Lama did not go through the process of drawing lots from the golden bottle. What happened?
Zhu Weiqun: Since
there was the Dalai lineage, no Dalai Lama's reincarnation was personally determined by the previous life. It has to go through a certain process. The core of this process is to recognize the highest authority of the Chinese central government in the reincarnation of living Buddhas.
As far as the 14th Dalai Lama himself is concerned, due to the special historical circumstances at that time, there was no condition to draw lots from the golden bottle.
At that time, the central government approved him to be exempted from drawing lots, so that he could become the Dalai Lama without drawing lots. This is an exception rather than a general rule.
The United States and the 14th Dalai Lama claimed that only Dalai himself has the right to decide the next Dalai, and if the so-called Dalai is born in this way, it can only be a fake Dalai.
China News Agency reporter: Could you please introduce, what is the reincarnation of a living Buddha?
Zhu Weiqun: The
reincarnation of the Living Buddha was originally a solution to some important temples in Tibetan Buddhism. After the death of its leader, its temples, believers, property, and social influence emerged as a solution.
Not all sects of Tibetan Buddhism practice the reincarnation of living Buddhas.
Among the sects that practice the reincarnation of Living Buddhas, the Gelug Sect is the one with greater influence and higher status in producing Living Buddhas.
Due to the expansion of the social influence of religion, the inheritance of the Big Living Buddha has become a matter of great concern to Tibetan religious believers.
If the living Buddha reincarnation affairs are handled well, the society will be relatively stable.
If a problem occurs, it will affect the stability and stability of society.
For this reason, the central government of China has been very concerned about the reincarnation of Tibetan Living Buddhas.
Important powers, especially the power of approval, are in the hands of the central government.
This is the need for national reunification and the need for the religious beliefs of Tibetan religious believers to be respected.
Zhu Weiqun, former executive vice minister of the United Front Work Department of the CPC Central Committee and director of the Ethnic and Religious Committee of the 12th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, accepted an exclusive interview with China News Agency "Focus on China".
Photo by China News Agency reporter Jiang Qiming
China News Agency reporter: What are the steps involved in the reincarnation of a living Buddha?
Zhu Weiqun:
After hundreds of years of development and evolution, the living Buddha reincarnation system has gradually formed a relatively complete set of norms.
In particular, the reincarnation of the Living Buddha has clear religious rituals and historical customizations. The core of it is the highest authority of the Chinese Central Government in matters concerning the reincarnation of Living Buddhas.
One of the links of the reincarnation of the living Buddha is the temple where the dead living Buddha is located. It reports to the central government through the local government, requesting approval to find his reincarnated soul boy.
After approval, a corresponding agency for searching for reincarnated soul boys was established in the temple.
The second is that the local government organizes the religious community to search for reincarnated soul boys in accordance with the history of religious rituals, and will report the found soul boy candidates to the central government's request for golden lottery.
The third is that the local government organizes the Tibetan Buddhist community to draw lots in accordance with the rituals in historical custom.
Fourth, after the lottery is drawn in the golden bottle, the officials in charge of the lottery, religious leaders, and important people involved in the work of all aspects report the results of the lottery to the central government for approval.
Fifth, after the approval of the central government, the reincarnated soul boy sitting in bed ceremony was held, and only then did it formally inherit the previous legal system.
After the founding of the People’s Republic of China, the 11th Panchen Lama Erdeni was the first living Buddha of the Dalai Lama and the Panchen Lama. It was the first to be signed by the Golden Vase, which marked the reincarnation of Tibetan Buddhist Living Buddhas in New China. Success.
Data map: On July 10, 2016, the inauguration ceremony for the 700th anniversary of the founding of the Xie Tashi Gepei Temple and the reconstruction of the main hall was held in Xietongmen County, Xigaze City, Tibet Autonomous Region.
Photo by Li Lin
China News Agency reporter: What impact will the management of the central government have on the inheritance and development of Tibetan Buddhism?
Zhu Weiqun:
Some people in society believe that there will naturally be conflicts between freedom of religious belief and government management. This is a big misunderstanding.
The management of religions according to law keeps our religion in a stable, orderly, and harmonious state.
This is the most important social security for freedom of religious belief.
We Chinese Communists do not believe in religion. We are atheists. However, our scientific understanding of religion as a social phenomenon requires us to respect the masses’ right to freedom of religious belief.
For example, in the reincarnation of living Buddhas, in the arrangement and handling of all religious affairs, none of what we have done is contrary to the teachings, teachings and rules of Buddhism.
In the process of drawing lots in the golden bottle, the divination, watching the lake, hexagrams, and unannounced visits of the soul boy, which are of interest to everyone, were all completed by religious figures.
Our management of religious affairs in accordance with the law has actually effectively prevented the exchange of interests, private exchanges, bribery, etc. that often occurred in the handling of the reincarnation of living Buddhas in the old era that violated the fundamental purpose of Buddhist purity. Some behavior.
It was no secret in old Tibet to seek the interests of great nobles and monasteries in the name of handling the affairs of the reincarnation of living Buddhas, or even harm the interests of the country.
Our management of religious affairs according to law has gradually created a clean atmosphere that is truly conducive to the healthy inheritance of religion.
This is our fundamental protection of freedom of religious belief.
Data map: In the early morning of July 4, 2010, the fifth living Buddha Dezhu reincarnated soul boy golden vase drawing ceremony was solemnly held in front of the Buddha statue of Sakyamuni at Jokhang Temple in Lhasa.
Photo by Xu Changan issued by China News Service
China News Agency reporter: The Dalai Group claimed that its "Tibetan Administrative Center" contributed to the passage of the US Tibet-related Act this time. What kind of organization do they call the "Tibetan Administrative Center"? What role does it play?
Zhu Weiqun: The
Dalai Group said that its so-called "Tibetan Administrative Center" contributed to the passage of the US bill. This is the truth.
Because the whole bill was concocted and fabricated by the US Congress, government departments, and the so-called "Tibetan Administrative Center" of the Dalai clique.
What is the so-called "Tibetan Administrative Center"?
We might as well start from the source.
In 1959, the Dalai clique instigated an armed rebellion. After failure, they fled abroad. During the flight, they could not wait to declare the so-called "Tibet independence" and established the Tibet "government in exile" headed by the 14th Dalai Lama.
For a long period of time, its external banner was "Tibetan Independent State." It instigated an armed rebellion in Tibet, entrapped people of all ethnic groups, and harassed the Chinese border.
As the situation later developed, the Dalai Lama had another idea, disguising the set of "Tibetan independence" and proposing the so-called "middle way" and "high degree of autonomy in Tibet", which seemed to be "flexible." It is actually the political program of "Tibet independence."
As a result, the "Independent Tibetan State" has become the so-called "Tibetan Administrative Center." Its spiritual leader and actual operator is still the 14th Dalai Lama, and its backstage is still the United States. These have not changed.
It can be seen from this that the so-called "Tibetan Administrative Center" is nothing but a continuation and reprint of the "Independent Tibetan State". It is just a new name and a Western "democratic" cloak. It cannot change the practice of "Tibet" in the slightest. Independence", the true colors of separatism.
Zhu Weiqun, former executive vice minister of the United Front Work Department of the CPC Central Committee and director of the Ethnic and Religious Committee of the 12th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, accepted an exclusive interview with China News Agency "Focus on China".
Photo by China News Agency reporter Jiang Qiming
Reporter from China News Service: This Tibet-related bill also mentions that "it is necessary to effectively promote Tibetan leaders to have a real dialogue with the Chinese central government". What is your view on this?
Zhu Weiqun:
This Tibet-related bill has a very awkward and awkward sentence. It says: "Promote the conflict between the government of the People’s Republic of China and the Dalai Lama or his or her representative democratically elected Tibetan community leaders. Substantive dialogue with preconditions."
First, "he" and "she" are used here to refer to the Dalai Lama. This implies that the Dalai Lama may be a woman in the coming fifteenth century.
Contact Dalai to talk about reincarnation all over the years, say "reincarnation in life" for a while, say "stop reincarnation" for a while, say reincarnation as a foreigner, and say reincarnation as a female, but it must be a "blonde" Lively girl".
It can be said that the Dalai Lama treats such a serious matter as the reincarnation of a living Buddha as a trifling matter.
What he values is only how he holds the highest authority in matters concerning the reincarnation of living Buddhas.
Second, for the first time, the bill lists "Tibetan community leaders" as a party to "dialogue" with the Chinese central government in the future.
The so-called "leader of the Tibetan community" is clearly the leader of the Dalai clique.
In this way, the United States is trying to put the leading figures of the Dalai clique into the original framework of "the central government sends people to contact and negotiate with Dalai's personal representatives."
If this article can be realized, it will be tantamount to completely changing the nature of contact and negotiation.
Third, the Tibet-related bill requires a "substantial dialogue without preconditions" with the Chinese government.
In other words, the Dalai clique can arbitrarily engage in "Tibet independence", create all kinds of incidents, and do all kinds of bad things at will, without affecting the progress of "dialogue."
Data map: 64-year-old Lausanne from Caimen Village, Tashiraoden Township, Milin County, played with his grandson Basang on the grass in the yard.
Photo by He Penglei
China News Service: Between 2002 and 2010, the central government sent people to talk with Dalai’s personal representatives 10 times. Why did it stop afterwards?
Zhu Weiqun:
These 10 talks have all been announced before. In fact, it is the central government's education and rescue of the Dalai Lama. I hope that he will give up the illusion of "Tibet independence", abandon separatist activities, and improve relations with the central government.
But the development of things later was very disappointing.
As everyone knows, for example, the Dalai Group planned the "March 14 Incident" in 2008, killing so many innocent people; inciting sabotage to hit the Beijing Olympics, causing very bad effects, and creating "self-immolation" incidents, and so on.
The Dalai and his gang wanted to talk to us while doing bad things. This was impossible, and it was interrupted.
The decision-making power and the leading power of the talks are in the hands of our central government, not in the hands of the United States, let alone the Dalai Lama.
They should see this issue more clearly.
China News Agency reporter: In today's world situation, the United States has implemented its strategy of suppressing and containing China through various means, and the "Tibet card" is one of them. In your opinion, how should China deal with this situation?
Zhu Weiqun:
After World War II, the United States directly intervened in the so-called "Tibet issue", undermining China's unity, disrupting Tibet's progress, and harming the interests of the people of all ethnic groups in Tibet.
The United States has used both Wen's hand and Wu's hand.
Wu's first hand includes supporting the Dalai clique's rebellion, harassing the Chinese border, and even training armed spies for the Dalai clique in the United States at any cost, and then airdropping them back to Tibet.
The article has more first-hand tricks, including giving Dalai a large amount of economic support, some Western heads of state rushing to meet with Dalai, awarding Dalai Nobel Peace Prize, US Congress Gold Medal, etc., but none of these have won the Americans and Dalai Lama. The desired effect.
The tone of this bill is bigger than before.
Some foreign news agencies commented: In the past, the United States has adopted a more appealing and suggestive attitude towards China in Tibet-related remarks, but this time it has become a tone of "instruction" and "forced request."
Does this mean that the American waist is thicker and stronger, so the tone is harder?
I don’t think it is, but it reflects that some politicians in the United States have become even more dizzy. The China policy has become a kind of big talk game, a kind of nonsense game, with this mentality and way of thinking, dealing with China Relationship, there will be no good results.
Judging from the content of this bill, the US Congress and the government may adopt a tougher attitude towards Tibet-related affairs in the future.
But this cannot change the general direction of China's prosperity.
Data map: Tibetan opera has a history of more than 600 years and is known as the "living fossil" of Tibetan culture. In 2009, it was selected as the representative list of UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
Photo by China News Agency reporter He Penglei
Reporter from China News Service: Some US congressmen said that this time the bill "clearly shows America's determination to promote the rights and interests of the Tibetan people." Is it really possible to promote the rights and interests of the Tibetan people in this way?
Zhu Weiqun:
This is totally a joke.
In the process of the development of Tibet by our party and country, has the United States brought any benefits to the Tibetan people besides causing us all kinds of troubles?
There is no benefit.
On the contrary, what we see is that they are standing behind the Dalai clique, plotting events after another, and creating troubles endlessly.
The rights and interests of the Tibetan people are achieved through the leadership of the party and the efforts of the entire people, and are not granted by any external forces.
The future of Tibet can only be pinned on our own hard work and sacrifice, not on the so-called "kindness" of certain Western forces.
I visited Tibet for the first time in 1991. At that time, the asphalt road in Tibet was only a short section of tens of kilometers from Lhasa City to Qushui County. After leaving this short section, all (other) roads were gravel roads, even worse than gravel roads. Worse.
After a few days from a business trip, the bones of the whole body are going to be broken. How many years has it been?
Now in Tibet, there are high-grade highways and expressways all over the territory, and every city above the prefecture level has an airport.
After the completion of the Qinghai-Tibet Railway, the Lalin Railway has completed the track laying of the entire line.
Here, which inch of roads, railways, and airports were brought to us by Westerners?
China News Agency reporter: The 70th anniversary of Tibet’s peaceful liberation in May of this year. Great achievements have been made in various developments in Tibet. What do you think should be the future of Tibet?
Zhu Weiqun: To
be honest, in the future, Tibet will firstly develop its economy rapidly; secondly, its people's lives will improve rapidly; thirdly, it will become more and more closely connected with all parts of the motherland; and the natural environment will get better and better.
We have full confidence in Tibet in the motherland.
(Finish)