Chinese state-backed website warns celebrities Faye Wong, Tony Leung and Hu Jun to avoid links with Tibetan ‘separatists’
Many Western film stars have been criticised for supporting Dalai Lama and Chinese celebrities should have learned the lesson, says portal
PUBLISHED : Friday, 26 February, 2016, 11:14am
UPDATED : Saturday, 27 February, 2016, 1:38am
Li Jing
[email protected]
Tony Leung, left, pictured at the Buddhist gathering in India. Photo: SCMP Pictures
A government-backed website in China focused on Tibet has criticised Chinese celebrities after they were pictured at a Buddhist assembly with members of the Tibetan government-in-exile.
Singer Faye Wong, Hong Kong actorTony Leung Chiu-wai and mainland actor Hu Jun were photographed at the gathering in India with the Tibetan spiritual leader’s staff, Tibet.cn reported.
China’s government considers the Dalai a separatist intent on splitting the nation. He denies the allegation and says he merely wants greater autonomy for Tibet within China.
A commentary on the website said many Western film stars had been criticised for their support for the Dalai Lama and Chinese celebrities should have learned the lesson.
“Why do Faye Wong and Tony Leung still sit together with them knowing they are the heads of separatist forces? What on earth are they doing?” the article said.
China says Nobel Peace Prize winner the Dalai Lama is a separatist plotting to split the nation. He says he merely wants greater autonomy for Tibet. Photo: Associated Press
The celebrities were attending an event on February 14 commemorating the 92nd anniversary of the birth of the late predecessor of the 17th Gyalwang Karmapa, Tibetan Buddhism’s third-highest spiritual leader, the Karmapa’s office said.
Karma Namgyal, secretary of the Karmapa’s office, said the presence of the three along with one of the ministers of the Central Tibetan Administration and speaker of the Tibetan parliament-in-exile was “coincidental”.
He said the celebrities were in Bodh Gaya, a temple-dotted town where tradition has it that the Buddha reached enlightenment, to attend an annual week-long prayer festival for world peace. They arrived a few days early, so attended the commemoration event as well, sitting on the side with all the laypeople, said Karma Namgyal.
Jamphel Shonu, a press officer for the self-claimed government-in-exile in Dharamsala, India, said the event was “purely religious” and had “nothing to do with politics or the Central Tibetan Administration”.
Representatives of Hu, Leung and Wong, also known as Wang Fei, did not respond to requests for comment.
Hu has issued a statement on his social media account saying he was unaware there were “separatist forces” in the crowd.
“I don’t know any separatists. I was only in a religious gathering praying for blessings. As a Chinese, I am against any comments and actions that aim to separate the county!” he wrote.
The commentary admitted celebrities have “religious freedom”, but described Faye Wong as “a spokesperson for India’s pilgrimage tourism” as she has visited the country to worship many times.
It said celebrities should be more cautious in their religious activities as “mingling with separatist forces” was beyond the limits of religious freedom.
It also criticised celebrities it alleged supported separatism and named the Hong Kong actors Anthony Wong and Chapman To, plus the Taiwanese singers A-Mei and Chou Tzu-Yu.
Film star Jet Li was accused two years ago of funding Dalai Lama’s “separatist forces” after he and his wife had a photograph taken with the Dalai Lama. His lawyer denied the allegation.
The commentary said many Western countries’ leaders, including David Cameron in the UK, Angela Merkel in Germany and Francois Hollande in France, had all “closed the door” on the Dalai Lama.
Additional reporting by Associated Press
