From monasteries, to temples, to Tibetan prayer flags, China’s campaign of destruction against Tibetan Buddhism knows seemingly no end. And sadly, precious monuments have been targeted once again.
The International Campaign for Tibet (ICT) deplores Chinese authorities’ demolition of two Buddha statues around a prominent monastery in Drango (Chinese: Luhuo) county in the Kardze (Ganzi) Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture in Sichuan province.
It said that this past December, a 99-foot tall Buddha statue, a three-story high Jampa (or future Buddha) statue and 45 Buddhist prayer wheels were destroyed by the Chinese Communist Party at the Drango monastery in Tibet.
Additionally, it said, at least six monks were arbitrarily detained over suspicion that they informed the outside world about the demolition, a gross violation of freedom of speech.
According to the Chinese government, these symbols of Buddhism were destroyed because the height of the statues violated local building codes. But we know this is a flimsy and insulting excuse to cover up China’s true intentions: the erasure of all that is sacred to Tibetans.
ICT Interim President Bhuchung K Tsering said that regardless of belief, religious monuments and icons such as these statues should be unharmed, protected by the basic human right of religious freedom.
He recalled that the Buddha statue was funded by locals and built in 2015 to ward off natural calamities, as is the tradition among Tibetans, and statues of the Buddha are an important part of the Tibetan belief system overall.
But, he deplored that China’s officials persist in flouting basic human rights when it comes to Tibet, particularly the Drango county Communist Party secretary Wang Dongsheng, the man behind this latest act of sacrilege.
Six years ago, he said that Wang also oversaw the destruction of thousands of monastic dwellings at Larung Gar in eastern Tibet and the mass expulsion of monks and nuns, who were studying there peacefully.
ICT expressed concern that the destruction of these statues has caused deep anguish to Tibetans in the region.
