The Chinese government-appointed 11th Panchen Lama Gyaltsen Norbu is being apparently subjected to a scripted course of assuming religious leadership over the Tibetan people. China has earlier claimed on several occasions that the Dalai Lama, having lived so long in exile, cannot claim to represent or speak for the Tibetan people. Now China’s official Xinhua news agency Mar 10 had Gyaltsen promising to speak on behalf of the people as a political advisor to the Chinese government.The report said Gyaltsen made his comment during his first public speech at the ongoing annual session of the National Committee of Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), the country's top advisory body, to which he was appointed on Feb 28."As political advisors from the religious circle of the CPPCC, we should live up to the trust of the government and the people," he was quoted as saying while joining a panel discussion of the circle.

Source : Tibetan Review