By Tenzin Nyidon
DHARAMSHALA, June 28: Chinese authorities in occupied Tibet raided monasteries at the beginning of this month and forced monks to sign a document agreeing not to keep ties with the exiled spiritual leader His Holiness the Dalai Lama for the stated purpose of maintaining security.
“The authorities search all the residences of the monks and the main shrines in the monasteries. The monks of Shartsa Monastery are also forced into renouncing ties with His Holiness the Dalai Lama and be part of anti-Dalai Lama groups,” an anonymous source told Radio Free Asia.
Images obtained by RFA show monks from Shartsa Monastery signing their names on a declaration board that states, “We will rigorously take part in opposing the Dalai Lama and will remain loyal and devoted to the country (China).”
“The monks in these monasteries were summoned for a meeting where they were forced to sign documents renouncing the Dalai Lama and separatism,” another source said.
The Chinese government widely regard the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader as being a “separatist” or “anti-China” for his effort to seek greater autonomy for Tibet and his attempt to have a dialogue with Beijing to resolve the Sino-Tibet conflict through the Middle Way Approach. The raids on monasteries and the forced renunciation of ties with the Dalai Lama is a reflection of the government’s strict policies on religion and loyalty to the party-state, observers say.
The Police and the Bureau of Religious Affairs in January 2016 issued a notice on the ban of displaying the spiritual leader’s portrait in the autonomous region. Hanging the Dalai Lama’s image “was same as displaying Saddam Hussein’s image would be for Americans,” the special campaign said.
Tibetans who are found possessing his photos or videos are arrested by the Chinese authorities, are also charged with “separatism” and the photos are forcibly taken away. Despite China’s ban on the portrait and public display of devotion of the Dalai Lama, and his public vilification by the CCP, Tibetans who have set themselves on fire since 2009 inside Tibet have called for the return of the Tibetan spiritual leader to Tibet.
