Gyaltsen Norbu, the Chinese-selected Panchen Lama addressed his countrymen …in English: “I would like to extend to all my fellow Tibetans at home and abroad my best greetings for the new Tibetan year of the Iron Rat,” he said.
Incidentally, for the Tibetans, it is the Year of the Mouse, not the Rat Year as in China, but why to speak in English.
With a relatively good accent and subtitles (and obviously a prompter), Gyaltsen Norbu said: “In 2019, we stayed apace with the great times. Every family made progress and reaped benefits. Each and every person gained new understandings and personal growth. At present, people of all ethnic groups across China are fighting against the novel coronavirus outbreak. I firmly believe under the strong leadership of the CPC Central Committee, with the whole society united in taking action and working together to help each other, we will definitely achieve the ultimate victory.”
Though he mentioned the Communist Party, he did not say a word about the 'People’s Leader', Xi Jinping.
After speaking of the fight against the Coronavirus, his conclusions were: “I wish and pray for world peace and social harmony. I wish and pray for the prosperity of our country. I wish and pray for the health and well-being for our people. And I wish and pray for all living beings to achieve happiness by staying away from all sufferings.”
A few days earlier, The People’s Daily announced that the Chinese Panchen Lama had donated medical supplies worth 1 million yuan (about $1,43,000) through the Tibet Development Fund: “to help fight the novel coronavirus in southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region [TAR].”
The Lama is obviously well-off.
Xinhua reported that the medical supplies, including medical gloves, isolation gowns, masks and thermometers, have been dispatched to the 'frontline' of epidemic control in the region.
Where is the ‘frontline’ when the TAR is said to be the only region in China without declared case?
More importantly, the fact that Gyatsen Norbu addressed the Tibetans in English shows that Beijing is planning a much larger role for him in the future.
It could even dispense China to ‘find’ a 15th Dalai Lama, a move which would be controversial to say the least; Beijing could play the ‘Gyaltsen Norbu’ card on a much larger scale and probably on a restricted international level.
Beijing is aware that after the Dalai Lama’s passing away, it will take a few years for his reincarnation to return and during the next two decades, he will not be able to play a political role due to young age, therefore it would be safe for Beijing to use Gyaltsen Norbu for a few decades.
But it is if…
The fate of a nation (or an individual) is never a straight line.
In 1931, two years before passing in the Heavenly Fields, the 13th Dalai Lama had written: “While I was returning to Tibet, [in 1910] the Ambans [the Chinese Resident] in Tibet sent false reports to the Chinese Emperor and as a result commander Lui Chan and his soldiers were ordered to march into Tibet. They started interfering and even managed to take considerable political power into their hands. Consequently, I, my ministers and important officials of the State, inspite of the difficult journey, had to leave Tibet and go to the noble land of India [The Dalai Lama stayed in Kalimpong]. There, I appealed to the then English Government of India who brought the matter to the notice of the Chinese king. However, the Chinese king refused to reply and nothing came out of it. [But in 1912] as a result of our past meritorious karma and the numerous prayers and services that were conducted in Tibet, internal strife took place in China. It was no problem, therefore, to completely drive out the Chinese force from Tibet.”
A few months later, the Dalai Lama declared Tibet’s Independence.
History does not often repeat, however many unpredictable events can happen… It would not be wise for Beijing to bet too much on Gyaltsen Norbu.
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