E/CN.4/1993/62 page 12 this way, in February 1940 and August 1949 respectively, before assuming office. The Chinese Government treats the religious ritual, tradition and historical convention associated with the present-day identification of reincarnations of Tibetan living Buddhas, and the activities of the various monasteries and temples involved, with the utmost respect. The passing to another world of the Panchen Lama and the search for his Soul Boy are being handled in precisely this manner. The claim in the annex to your letter that this violates ancient religious tradition is incorrect. 2. The search for the Soul Boy within China Throughout history, the search for the Soul Boys of Tibetan living Buddhas has invariably been conducted within the regions inhabited by the Tibetan Buddhist Zang, Mongolian and other Chinese ethnic minorities. Hence it is quite normal for the current search to be carried out within the country. 3. The ’banning of the Great Prayer Festival for the third consecutive year’ Suggestions of this sort are quite at variance with reality. The Permanent Mission of China in Geneva sent a letter to the Special Rapporteur on religious matters in December 1990 giving a full account of this topic; it was incorporated into his report to the Commission on Human Rights at its forty-seventh session (E/CN.4/1991/56, p. 81 of the English text). 4. The claim that ’pilgrims are searched’ That citizens of the People’s Republic of China enjoy freedom of religious belief as one of the civil rights enunciated in the Chinese Constitution. Respecting citizens’ freedom of religion and protecting normal religious activities is the basic and consistent policy of the Chinese Government on religious matters. The Government has never interfered in or restricted the religious rites observed at Tibet’s many monasteries or the Buddhist activities of the religious masses. Nowadays hundreds of thousands of ethnic Tibetans and over 10,000 foreign pilgrims and tourists annually visit monasteries all over the country. There are no ’searches of pilgrims’. 5. The claim that ’four monks were imprisoned for translating the Universal Declaration of Human Rights’ The Chinese Government regards the Universal Declaration of Human Rights as the prime international instrument specifically and systematically promoting and protecting basic human rights. Despite its historical limitations, the Declaration has made a positive contribution to the development of the post-war international human rights movement. Many Chinese publications have translated and printed it. The claim that four Tibetan monks were sent to prison in November 1989 for translating the Declaration is absolutely unfounded.