The impostor traveled to Tibet in an attempt to divert attention from His Holiness’ 90th birthday in Dharamsala. He failed.
While the world focused on the celebration of the Dalai Lama’s 90th birthday and his announcement about his succession, the CCP deployed its fake Panchen Lama, sending him to Tibet to perform unusually solemn ceremonies.
While broadcast on state television, the events drew a relatively small crowd, showing that few take the false Panchen Lama seriously in Tibet.
The impostor, identified as the Panchen Lama by the CCP but not recognized by the Dalai Lama, arrived at Lhasa Airport on June 27. Etiquette staff offered him chema—a mixture of roasted barley flour, butter, and sugar. As cameras rolled, the fake Panchen Lama scooped some barley from the chema and tossed it into the air, chanting a mantra to bless, he said, Tibet’s diverse populations.
The CCP mobilized Silang Nima, a member of the Standing Committee of the Regional Party Committee and Minister of the United Front Work Department, along with local Party representatives, to present a hada (a long, narrow silk scarf) to the impostor and greet his arrival in Lhasa.
Another hada was presented by the CCP to the false Panchen Lama upon his arrival at his residence, where several monks had been gathered to welcome and cheer.
On July 1, he visited Jokhang Temple and was once again welcomed by regional CCP leaders.
On July 3, he chaired a meeting of the Tibet Branch of the China Buddhist Association, emphasizing General Secretary Xi Jinping’s religious directives and the new five-year plan for Sinicization of Tibetan Buddhism. The false Panchen Lama highlighted the necessity of aligning Tibetan Buddhism with socialist values and adhering strictly to the CCP’s Central Committee’s instructions.
On July 4, at a symposium titled “The Implementation of the Outline of the Five-Year Work Plan for the Systematic Promotion of the Sinicization of Tibetan Buddhism (2025-2029),” the impostor emphasized the importance of furthering the understanding of Sinicization and adjusting Tibetan Buddhism to fit modern socialist China.
Although he did not mention the Dalai Lama’s birthday, everyone understood that the CCP crafted his activism to coincide with it. However, his effort to divert Tibetans’ attention from the more significant events focusing on the Dalai Lama in Dharamsala was unsuccessful.
Source: Bitter Winter
