China claims
Larung Gar under renovation
July 29,
2016 Tenzin
Dharpo Phayul.com
DHARAMSHALA, July 29: In the wake
of the outcry and protest from rights groups and international
media, China has claimed that the Buddhist University is undergoing
renovation works to create accessibility in the locale to avoid
“fire hazards” and that the measures taken are part of a consented
decision by the management of the monastic establishment to
“reduce” the number of “unregistered” monastics.
A report dated July 26 in the Chinese state run Global
Times claimed, “that center leaders (anonymous) want to reduce
the number of unregistered monks and nuns; they themselves
discourage the unregistered from living there.”
The Chinese authorities on Wednesday began demolition of Tibet’s
largest Buddhist center, Larung Gar Buddhist Academy in Serthar
County, following a plan for the same announced earlier. The
sprawling Tibetan Buddhist study center has been subjected to
forceful reduction of its strength over the decade ago. The latest
drive is aimed at cutting the centre’s strength to 5,000 by 2017
along with demolition of the dwellings in the name of road
construction, sources say.
London based NGO ‘Free Tibet
group’ censured the forceful eviction and demolition of properties
in Larung Gar and quoted a student from the monastic university who
posted his thought online, “If its 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? Where is the equality, rule by law, public welfare,
religious freedom and equal rights of all nationalities (they used
to say) if you crush down the houses of innocent religious
practitioners who are living simple lives.”
The gradual process of reducing the strength of the institute
founded by late Khenpo Jigme Phuntsok that once boasted around
10,000 students, including Han Chinese, to half could be a
preventive measure since Beijing consider the center a hub for
those who disseminate information to ‘exile separatist
forces.’
The year 2001 saw the dismantling of Serthar Institute. Over 8,000
students were evicted forcibly from the institute and approximately
2,000 dwellings of monks and nuns were demolished that year.
The demolition that began on Wednesday is well underway with fresh
photos surfacing in social networking sites.