Puman status considered as overseas Chinese
By Tsai Ting-I
A Taiwanese citizen who has been recognized as the reincarnation of a Tibetan Buddhist lama is free from fulfilling his military service obligations because he qualifies as an oversea Chinese, the government departments said yesterday.
“Puman Rinpoche is identified as an overseas Chinese. As long as his visit to Taiwan does not exceed one year, he would not need to fulfill his military obligation,” said an official at the Overseas Chinese Affairs Commission, who only gave her last name, Tso.
Puman Rinpoche, who was born in Tashi, Taoyuan County in 1983 to Tibetan parents, had been bothered by Taiwan’s regulations demanding male citizens to fulfill their military obligations after the age of 18.
According to the OCAC, Puman is qualified for overseas Chinese status because of his Nepalese citizenship.
Since the age of six, Puman was receiving a Buddhist education in Nepal. However, the pacifist doctorines espoused by his foreign schooling were in direct conflict with his military obligations as a Taiwanese citizen.
Furthermore, because he was living in Nepal for almost two decades the environment afforded him little opportunity to learn the Chinese language.
These issues were also expected to create extra difficulties to his military service.
At the age of four, authorities from the Drikung school – one of the major schools of the Kagyu sect of Buddhism – recognized him as a reincarnated Mahayana Buddhist high lama, or “rinpoche.” At age six, with his parents remaining in Taiwan, Puman began his training as a Tibetan lama in Nepal, where he has resided ever since.
In 2000, he returned to Taiwan for the first time to visit his father who was falling ill.
Despite visiting Taiwan every year since, Puman possesses only rudimentary Mandarin skills and does not feel completely at home in Taiwanese society.
Puman learned of the necessity to fulfill his military obligation in 2001, when the Tahshi Town Local Council delivered a notification to him. Subsequently, when attempting to return to Nepal, he was detained at customs.
To fulfill his obligation, he returned to Taiwan this May for the military recruitment.
However, government departments looked into Puman’s case after the Chinese-language media reported his dilemma at the end of June.
According to the Ministry of the Interior’s Conscription Administration, if Puman stays in Taiwan without leaving for one year, or if he stays three times in Taiwan for over 4 months, he would be required to take alternative service. This option is available to those people with religious beliefs which are inconsistent with military service.
According to the Chinese language media, Puman plans to depart for Nepal soon, after the government’s conclusion.
