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Beijing says that handpicked Lama may be too young

A Tibetan youth named by China as the 11th Panchen Lama is too young to be a parliament deputy, a spokesman said, quashing speculation he would soon become the country's youngest Cabinet minister-level official.

China's atheist Communists and exiled Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, in 1995 chose rival reincarnations of the 10th Panchen Lama, the second-highest figure in Tibetan Buddhism.

Sources had said Beijing's choice, Gyaltsen Norbu, who turned 18 last month, could become a member of the elite Standing Committee of the National People's Congress as early as this month.

But parliamentary spokesman Jiang Enzhu (姜恩柱) said yesterday that the youth was not 18 when elections were held.

"According to our country's laws and regulations, members of the National People's Congress must be at least 18 years old," Jiang told a news conference.

"As far as I know, the Panchen Lama was not yet 18 when elections ... were held. So he is not on the list of deputies this time," Jiang said.

China's state media have not mentioned elections and Jiang did not elaborate on when they took place.

Meanwhile, Icelandic singer Bjork ignited criticism from Chinese fans after she declared "Tibet! Tibet!" to end a passionate performance of her song Declare Independence during a concert in Shanghai.

The outburst at the finale of Bjork's Sunday night concert drew rare public attention inside China to Beijing's often harsh rule over the at times independent Himalayan region of Tibet.

Bjork's statement was not reported in state-controlled media, but online discussion boards were aflame with angry comments by users.

"If she really did this, then this woman really makes people throw up," one comment on the Chinese Web site Sina.com said.

One foreign national in the audience said that people didn't boo, but left the Shanghai International Gymnastic Center hurriedly.
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