By Tenzin Monlam
DHARAMSHALA, January 21: The Students for a Free Tibet (SFT) India on Thursday mocked the so called ‘Authentic Living Buddha list’ published on January 18 by carrying out a street protest.
The student organization set up a pseudo enrollment booth where activists wearing Chinese President Xi Jinping mask held a list if conditions for enrollment including ‘Anti-Dalai Lama’, ‘Pro-Chinese Communist Party’, and ‘Don’t even need to be a Buddhist’.
Tenzin Tselha, National Director (India) said that the aim of the presentation is to mock the list published by China with ‘made up’ criteria. “We recognize the list moving in opposite direction to the actions taken against the Panchen Lama (Dalai Lama appointed) or the death of Tulku Tenzin Delek in Chinese prison. China has no right in publishing such list.”
In their first ever list of authorized ‘living Buddha’, Beijing released names, photos and locations of 870 ‘verified’ Buddha on the website of the State Administration for Religious Affairs.
“The Chinese government may have claimed it to eradicate the fake lamas. However, we see it as a politically motivated step to intervene with the reincarnation selection of the 14th Dalai Lama,” Dorjee Tseten, SFT’s Asia Director said.
“It is nothing new from the Chinese authorities. Neither Tibetans nor Buddhists allover the world will accept this new law. This is a gross violation of religious freedom and a perverse interference in Tibetan Buddhism.”
According to China’s religious affairs administration, the system is placed to counter ‘fake’ lamas who are undermining Tibetan Buddhism by cheating believers out of cash. However, the Tibetans living in exiles see it as an intrusion on their religious beliefs and religious freedom.
“CCP is an atheist government who does not have any authority in imposing such law that interferes with a religious belief. They have certified the Panchen Lama they have appointed, which proves the list is null and void. No Tibetan will accept this new law,” a Tibetan living in Dharamsala said.
SFT also organized a signature petition against the ‘Living Buddha list’, which will be sent to the respective offices of China and their Embassy. They have also made a Hashtag chain ‘#CCPHasNoRight.
