Dharamshala, 12th January: Since late last month in western China’s Sichuan province, RFA has confirmed the destruction of a second Buddhist statue beloved by Tibetans, as part of a campaign the ethnic minority claims is targeting its religion and culture. The destruction of a three-story statue of Maitreya Buddha at Gaden Namyal Ling monastery in Drago (in Chinese, Luhuo) county in the Kardze (Ganzi) Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture was confirmed by RFA using commercial satellite photography.
The confirmation of the removal of the Maitreya monument, which Tibetan Buddhists believe is a Buddha who will arise in a future age, comes after the destruction of a 99-foot tall statue 900 meters (2,700 feet) away last week.
According to RFA, Chinese officials compelled monks from local monasteries and Tibetans living in adjacent towns to watch the demolition of the statue and 45 traditional prayer wheels, which began on December 12 and lasted for nine days, according to contacts in the area. The three-story statue and the structure that housed it were both demolished at the same time as the 99-foot Buddha, which officials argued was too tall.
According to RFA who cited local accounts, Drago county chief Wang Dongsheng was present for the statue’s dismantling and watched the savage police assault of local Tibetans protesting the demolition. Wang had also ordered the removal of a 99-foot Buddha statue in Drago in December and had previously overseen the destruction of Sichuan’s vast Larung Gar Buddhist Academy, which saw thousands of monks and nuns exiled and residences demolished.
According to Tenzin Lekshey, a spokesperson for CTA in Dharamsala, India, China’s continued assault on Tibetans’ religious freedom will exacerbate the troubling issue of Chinese authority in Tibetan territories.
“This forceful behavior by the Chinese government in Drago clearly shows the government’s mistreatment of Tibetans and their religion, and the Central Tibetan Administration is very concerned about what is happening in Drago,” he said.
Leave a Reply