Forced Demolition of World’s Largest Buddhist Academy

By Tenzin Samten / July 24, 2016;

Destroyed site at Larung Gar
Photo: RFA

Chinese authorities have begun demolition work at Larung Gar, the world’s largest Tibetan Buddhist centre, located in Serta County in Kardze Tibetan Autonomous region in the Sichuan province. The scheme will halve the population of the monastery, reducing it to 5,000 people. Radio Free Asia (RFA) reported that demolition commenced in the early morning of July 20. The work crews, who were all Chinese, were accompanied by police and government officials.

“The work started at 8:00 am on July 20, beginning with those structures that were not already recorded in the government’s record of permitted dwellings,” said RFA’s source.

Senior abbots of the centre Khenpo Tsultrim Lodroe and Khenpo Rigdar called on the residents to stay calm and restrain themselves from opposing the work in progress. Khenpo Tsultrim Lodroe advised people not to think that “everything is finished” in an undated audio circulating on Wechat, he said that if they look back in few years they will find that it wasn’t the worst thing that happened. He further added that protesting against the planned demolition would only make conditions worse at their institution.

RFA’s source reported that the centre’s residents are “filled with sadness, sorrow and worry”, he said they feel there is nothing they can do and that their future is uncertain.

Tibetans and supporters are circulating photographs of what is happening at the monastery on social media sites and expressing their grief and anger.

A student of Larung Gar questioned the move by asking if the only option to solve the over population is destroying the houses, then why is the same policy not implemented in the Chinese cities and towns where population is overcrowded? He continued by asking where is the equality, rule by law, public welfare, religious freedom and equal rights of all nationalities (as China used to say) if you crush down the houses of innocent religious practitioners who are living simple lives? This student is quoted by Free Tibet, the London-based non government organisation.

“They are making around 5,000 monks and nuns homeless. China likes to talk about religious freedom, but their actions at Larung Gar cannot be justified. [These actions] show us how [Chinese officials] really feel about Tibetan Buddhism,” said Eleanor Byrne-Rosengren, director of Free Tibet.

Larung Gar’s population will be reduced from 10,000 to 5,000 by 2017. Orders were given to evict the first phase of residents by October 30; punishments for not meeting this deadline were also announced.

A petition has been set up by “Safeguarding Buddhism” on change.org. It aims to achieve 50,000 signatures and will be delivered to the United Nations Human Rights Council and the United Nations. At the time of going to press this petition has nearly 45,000 signatures.