04 March 2008
Chinese Panchen Lama too not to join NPC
(Reuters; Asia News) The Tibetan youth named by Beijing as the 11th Panchen Lama is too young to be a member of the NPC. Reuters sources had said Beijing's choice, Gyaltsen Norbu, who turned 18 last month, could become a member of the youngest member of the Standing Committee of the NPC, as early as this month. But spokesman Jiang Enzhu said that the youth was not 18 when elections were held. "According to our country's laws and regulations, members of the National People's Congress must be at least 18 years old", Jiang Enzhu told a news conference. "As far as I know, the Panchen Lama was not yet 18 when elections (...) were held. So he is not on the list of deputies this time", Jiang said. China's state media have not mentioned elections, and Jiang did not elaborate on when they took place, moreover, the deputies of the NPC are appointed rather than elected. According to reports from Asia News, some analysts believe the decision instead reveals the government's unhappiness with the attitude of the young man, who is thought to be insufficiently aggressive toward the Dalai Lama. The failed appointment is thought to be punishment for Norbu, who is deeply unpopular in Tibet.