The Return of the Panchen Lama

Abstract

With the Dalai Lama back in Lhasa, a key issue for the Chinese was ensuring that the Panchen Lama returned to Tibet with his rights and powers restored. It was at their insistence that this issue had been included as part of the Seventeen-Point Agreement. Despite this inclusion, Mao and the Central Committee had decided to treat Tibet as a unified entity, with the Dalai Lama as the head. In keeping with this, Mao had rejected the Back and Front Tibet model advocated by the Panchen Lama. Mao, therefore, from the start, saw the promotion of unity between the Panchen Lama and the Dalai Lama as being in China's interests. After the danger of the sitsab and the People's Association had dissipated, the Panchen Lama and his group arrived in Lhasa on 28 April 1952.