Mon, March 07, 2011
BEIJING, March 7 (Xinhua) -- The decease of the Dalai Lama will not exert any impact on the overall situation of Tibet, a high-ranking official said Monday.
"Of course there will be a little repercussions due to religious factors, but we will take that into consideration and will surely guarantee the long-term political stability in Tibet," said Qiangba Puncog, chairman of the Standing Committee of Tibet Autonomous Regional People's Congress, while attending the annual parliamentary session in Beijing.
"I dare not say that Tibet will not see any incidents, big or small, forever, but I dare say that the current situation in Tibet is on the whole stable, and the Tibetan people wish for stability and object to trouble-making," he said.
The 14th Dalai Lama, 76 now, has said the institution of reincarnation might be abolished after his death.
"What he said does not count," said Padma Choling, chairman of the Tibet autonomous regional government.
He said Tibetan Buddhism has a history of more than 1,000 years, and the reincarnation institutions of the Dalai Lama and Panchen Lama have been carried on for several hundred years.
"We must respect the historical institutions and religious rituals of Tibetan Buddhism. I am afraid it is not up to anyone to abolish the reincarnation institution or not," he added.
