Forced Loyalty: Tibetans Made To Replace Dalai Lama Portraits With CCP Leaders
NEW DELHI -The Chinese government, reportedly has increased its repressive religious campaign in Tibet. The Chinese government recently carried out raids in an Amdo-based monastery and nearby villages to seize photos of the Dalai Lama. Several Tibetan Buddhist monasteries that hold great cultural and spiritual significance are located in the Amdo region, a report has stated.
The Chinese government has long banned the display of the Dalai Lama’s pictures in Tibet, with several incidents being reported about Tibetans being beaten or arrested under fabricated charges. Recently, the Chinese authorities searched the Larang Tashi Khyil Monastery and surrounding villages in Amdo, confiscating photos of the Dalai Lama and stating that displaying them was illegal. Officials forcibly barged into the monks’ quarters and homes, cutting off all communications from the area. The raids were conducted in villages, including Thangnag, Ngonchag, Ledruk, and Sangkhog.
A report in Ceylon Wire News stated, “Frustrated by the growing popularity of the Dalai Lama and Tibetan Buddhism, the Chinese government has escalated its repressive religious campaign in Tibet.”
Apart from conducting these raids, Chinese officials also forced Tibetans to participate in a controversial Panchen Lama ceremony organized under tight security. Monks, nuns, and senior lamas — including the 7th Gunthang Rinpoche, the Sakya abbot, and the Sera abbot — were forced to attend the Kalachakra empowerment led by Gyaltsen Norbu, the state-appointed Panchen Lama.
By promoting Nurbu, the Chinese government has been attempting to impose its version of Buddhism and weaken the influence of the Dalai Lama. His appointment as the state-sanctioned Panchen Lama is a significant part of China’s plan to control the religious hierarchy in Tibet, particularly in anticipation of the Dalai Lama’s eventual succession. The CCP’s religious manipulation stems from its rejection of the legitimate 11th Panchen Lama, Gendun Choekyi Nyima. He was kidnapped by Chinese authorities at the age of six in 1995 and has been missing till now. (IANS)
