A new report by the International Campaign for Tibet shows how new measures of surveillance and control are threatening to turn the Tibetan Buddhist monastic community into a tool of the Chinese Communist Party.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The report \u2014 released today, 10 March 2021 \u2014 documents policy and institutional changes that force monks and nuns to serve the interests of the Communist Party.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
These changes include giving a Communist Party agency direct oversight of monasteries and nunneries; stationing police and party cadres inside religious institutions; and pressuring monks and nuns to denounce the Dalai Lama for the sake of China\u2019s national unity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As leaders of Tibetans\u2019 nonviolent resistance movement\u2014as well as bedrocks of Tibetan culture\u2014monks and nuns are the most targeted group for repression in Tibet, which China annexed more than 60 years ago.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Communist Party views Tibetan Buddhism as a threat to its rule. But \u201cParty Above Buddhism\u201d shows how China\u2019s new measures are a threat to the religion\u2019s survival as an authentic, self-determined community of faith.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The report cites shocking examples of China\u2019s growing control over Tibetan Buddhism:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cParty Above Buddhism\u201d documents how China\u2019s new measures are causing a slow and steady decay of monasteries and nunneries as centers of Tibetan Buddhist learning\u2014a role they played for centuries while Tibetan culture flourished.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The measures have restricted monks\u2019 ability to travel freely between religious institutions in search of teachers and knowledge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In contrast to the traditional monastic education system, which recommended beginning study early in life, children can no longer take part in religious schools. This has prevented the flow of knowledge from one generation to the next and stifled the connection between teachers and students.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
China\u2019s intensive control and surveillance of the monastic community has led to the expulsion of monks for not complying with official policies, as well as their voluntary departure because they can no longer bear the stifling environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
According to a scholar in Tibet, \u201cThere has been a major decline in the number of monks and nuns, with some monasteries and nunneries virtually empty.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The release of \u201cParty Above Buddhism\u201d is taking place on Tibetan Uprising Day, which marks the anniversary of the 1959 Tibetan Uprising against Chinese rule.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The International Campaign for Tibet said:<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAfter more than 60 years of China\u2019s brutal, authoritarian rule in Tibet, our new report shows that Tibetan Buddhism is facing some of the gravest threats yet to its survival. We hope that \u2018Party Above Buddhism\u2019 shines a light on China\u2019s new efforts to bend this beautiful faith to the twisted purposes of the Chinese Communist Party. We also urge the international community once again to speak up for the religious freedom of the Tibetan people.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" A new report by the International Campaign for Tibet shows how new measures of surveillance and control are threatening to turn the Tibetan Buddhist monastic community into a tool of the Chinese Communist Party.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":0,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false},"categorie":[691],"news_tag":[670],"class_list":["post-12579","nieuws","type-nieuws","status-publish","hentry","categorie-news","news_tag-culture-and-religion"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nRead the report “Party Above Buddhism: China\u2019s Surveillance and Control of Tibetan Monasteries and Nunneries\u201d online<\/a>, or download it here<\/a>.<\/h5>\n\n\n\n