Tibet’s Dalai Lama

Your April 6 editorial (“Who Is the Dalai Lama?”) quoted his holiness that Tibet was independent from 1911 until 1950. It went on to imply his authority by referring to his 1989 Nobel Peace Prize. I would like to point out that winning a highly political prize does not automatically qualify one to be an authority on history.

According to recorded history, Tibet was fully functional as a territory of China under the jurisdiction of the Chinese Nationalist government in Nanjing during this period, 1911-1949, not just in political and administrative matters but in religious matters as well, such as the selection and ordination of both the Dalai and the Panchen lamas.

Upon the death of the 13th Dalai Lama on Dec. 17, 1933, a search finalized three candidates for the holiness. The selection was made through a drawing by the Tibetan governor, who was a political appointee of the Chinese central government. The official in this capacity was Wu Zhong-xin.

One of the candidates for the 14th Dalai Lama was a child genius named Lamudengzhu. Wu petitioned to the central government in Nanjing to waive the drawing and directly appoint Lamudengzhu to the holiness. Only upon the issuance of a special order from Chinese President Lin Sen, on Feb. 3, 1940, was the Dalai Lama’s ordination approved.

During this period, Tibet, as a territory of China, participated fully in the National People’s Congress in Nanjing. Its voting records are still kept in the file of the Nationalist government in Taipei.

PAUL CHOW

Northridge