China encroaches on religious freedom at the Tibetan monastery by enforcing new government controls over Larung Gar according to the report in the Human Rights Watch. The new interference into the religious affairs at the iconic Tibetan monastery by the government rightly proves the party claims of constitutionally protecting religious beliefs.
According to the Human Rights Watch, some 200 Communist Party cadres and lay officials are taking over all management, finances, security, admissions, and even the choice of textbooks at the center, following demolitions and expulsions in 2017. While China demolished the largest Tibetan Buddhist learning center in Tibet, reducing it to almost half its size, China expelled a large number of Tibetan monks and nuns from the center last year.
“The new government controls over Larung Gar fly in the face of Party claims that China respects constitutionally protected religious beliefs. The micromanagement of the Tibetan monastery encroaches on religious freedom and is likely to fuel resentment against Beijing.” said Sophie Richardson, China director at Human Rights Watch.
The demolishing of the Larung Gar centre has been stated to minimise the existing approximate population of 10,000 monks, nuns and lay people to around half the size. Now the government has taken over its administration by appointing the government officials to handle the religious center and such an imposition against the institute does not stand in line with what the government is speaking.
“The administrative takeover of Larung Gar by Party officials shows that the government’s aim was not merely to reduce numbers at the settlement. Chinese authorities are also imposing pervasive control and surveillance over every level of activity within religious communities.” Richardson added.
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