Panchen Lama visits Tibetans in remote China

He's just as good as the other guy. You will worship him, autonomous Tibetan serfs, for the glory of the state.

BEIJING, China (AP) - A Buddhist spiritual leader who was installed by China's communist government when he was a boy has visited a major Tibetan monastery in the latest attempt by Beijing to [enhance] his religious credentials.

The Panchen Lama is the second-ranked religious leader to Tibetans, after the Dalai Lama. But Tibetans generally do not accept this Panchen Lama because he was appointed by Beijing, while the original boy selected by the Dalai Lama in 1995 has not been heard from since.



The official Xinhua News Agency on Tuesday quoted the Panchen Lama as saying he was impressed with the amount of religious freedom enjoyed by Buddhists in the area surrounding the Labrang Monastery in western China's Gansu province.



With cues from the LAPD and former police chief Bratton, Chinese soldiers are getting the hang of how to keep Tibetan monks in line. It is said that more than 2,000,000 Tibetans have been killed so far. Bratton is currently in Britain teaching police their how to "re-educate" London protesters.

China accuses Tibetan monks of lewd acts

BEIJING, China (AFP) - Chinese authorities have accused monks at a Tibetan Buddhist monastery of using prostitutes, getting drunk, and gambling, state media said Friday, amid a security crackdown sparked by unrest there.

Demonstrations at Kirti Monastery in the southwestern province of Sichuan erupted after a monk self-immolated in an apparent anti-China protest last month and died. Security forces have since sealed off the monastery.

The government of Aba county said Friday it had decided to give monks "legal education" due to the "problems" there and "illegal activities" committed by some monks, the state Xinhua news agency said.

According to a circular released by the local government, "some monks in the monastery had visited prostitutes, got drunk and kicked up rows and engaged in gambling. And some disseminated pornographic videos."

But activist group International Campaign for Tibet, which gets information from sources in the area, dismissed the accusations, saying these had in the past been used by Chinese authorities against monks in restive areas.

Kate Saunders, spokeswoman for ICT, said the allegations were an attempt by officials to "distort and influence perceptions... of the deepening crackdown at Kirti."

"The Kirti monks... are on the frontline of a dangerous struggle to keep Tibet's culture and religion alive, and no amount of attempted smears about sex and gambling will change that reality." More