1989 Statement of the 10th Panchen Rinpoche (Audio)

10th Panchen Lama Choekyi Gyaltsen

By Tenzin Lekshay

Early January 1989, the 10th Panchen Lama Lobsang Trinley Lhundup Choekyi Gyaltsen visited Tashi Lhunpo Monastery in Shigatse, Tibet and had consecrated a memorial stupa of the past Panchen Lamas, which were earlier destroyed during the Cultural Revolution. During the ceremony, he spoke in length on the current situations inside Tibet, which were critical of Chinese government's policy on Tibet. Four days after the ceremony, Panchen Lama died mysteriously at the age of 51 on 28 January 1989.
After the Red China's occupation of Tibet in 1959, Panchen Lama, one of the most revered spiritual leaders of Tibet was made the Chairman of the Preparatory Committee for the Tibet Autonomous Region. After visiting various parts of Tibet, he submitted the 70,000 Character Petition to Mao Zedong through Zhou Enlai in 1962. The secret report gave a detailed account of the sufferings of Tibetan people under the Chinese regime. The petition also highlight appropriate suggestions for the Chinese government to implement their Tibet policies. Mao Zedong rejected the petition by calling it "a poisoned arrow shot at the party".

Since then, the Panchen Lama was accused of being anti-Chinese and a counter revolutionary. He  was removed from all the positions of public authority and had suffered great humiliation. In 1966, he was subjected to harsh public criticisms at the series of struggle sessions held in the National Institute of Minorities in Beijing. He was imprisoned for nearly 10 years and was later released in 1975.

After Deng Xiaoping assumed leadership in China, Panchen Lama was appointed as the deputy Chairman of the National Peoples Consultative Committee and the deputy Chairman of the National Peoples Congress in 1979. Throughout his life, Panchen Lama remained very vocal about preserving Tibetan language, religion, environment and the welfare of the Tibetan people.

To Listen to the 1989 Statement of the 10th Panchen Lama,

PART ONE  & PART TWO

For download, click here: First Part and Second Part