Khenpo Jigme Phuntsok challenged religious curbs
Authorities in China have banned followers of a prominent Tibetan Buddhistlama from traveling to his monastery to pay their last respects after KhenpoJigme Phuntsok's sudden death after heart surgery, RFA�s Tibetan servicereports. The monk's local followers have one week in which to pay respectsat what remains of his Buddhist institute in Sichuan Province, which waslargely razed by Chinese security officers in 2001 as the popularity of itsfounder soared.
Local monks and nuns in Karze (in Chinese, Ganzi) began traditional mourningrites on Jan. 13,local sources said. �He had followers in 23 different Chinese provinces,�one follower said, on condition of anonymity. �Many of them are wealthy andinfluential Chinese, but it seems no one is allowed to visit [the body].�
Khenpo Jigme Phuntsok-whose Serthar Institute taught Buddhist scriptures tomore than 8,000 students before much of it was demolished in 2001-died Jan.7 at about 9:40 a.m. in theethnically Tibetan Karze area of the southwesternprovince of Sichuan. He was 72 and recovering from heart surgery atSichuan's Army General Hospital.
According to China�s official Xinhua news agency, authorities will permittraditional funeral rites for Khenpo Jigme Phuntsok, whose school had beenthe target of an official crackdown. But Tibetan sources told RFA that noone from outside the county where his Serthar Buddhist Institute was basedhad been allowed to visit Karze to pay their last respects.
Khenpo Jigme Phuntsok�s followers quickly claimed his body after he diedsuddenly in a Chinese military hospital Jan. 7. Two days later, KarzePrefecture officials instructed the monks that Khenpo Jigme Phuntsok�s bodyshould be cremated as soon as possible, apparently fearing political unrest,sources said, but the monks sought and were granted a one-week delay.Cremation will likely occur on or about Jan. 22.
Khenpo Jigme Phuntsok�s popularity made Chinese authorities uncomfortable,and in 2001 People�s Armed Police and Public Security Bureau officers razeddormitories and individual dwellings at his Serthar Buddhist Instituteand drove away some 8,000 monks and nuns. Six nuns reportedly committedsuicide.
Khenpo Jigme Phuntsok himself was removed from the premises and heldincommunicado in a military hospital for a year following the crackdown,then-suffering from chronic ill health-largely confined to what remained ofthe institute.
�The Chinese consider Khenpo Jigme Phuntsok to be their enemy and source offear. They were afraid because he could command and influence such largecongregation of followers including thousands of Chinese. Therefore theycracked down on his institute and restricted his activities,� one sourcesaid.
Some Tibetan sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity, expressed shockat Khenpo Jigme Phuntsok�s sudden death when he seemed well on the road torecovery after surgery for a mild heart condition discovered during aroutine medical checkup.
After his stitches were removed Jan. 5, �he could even walk around,� saidone source. �Then on Jan. 7, after he was served his breakfast in themorning, he started to throw up,� the source said, whose account wasconfirmedby several others. �He continually threw up anything he had after thatbreakfast. His condition deteriorated so fast that he passed away around9:40 local time. Almost two hours after he started his breakfast.�
Officials at Sichuan's Army General Hospital declined to comment on thecase.#####