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China has deployed nearly 400 troops and multiple choppers at the Larung Gar Buddhist Academy, the largest Tibetan Buddhist study center in the world, in an effort to ensure a stricter surveillance on religious practices, the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) reported on Friday.
The People’s Republic of China (PRC) further plans to impose stringent regulations next year at the Buddhist monastic institution located in Serthar (Ch: Seda) County, Karze.
The regulations will reportedly limit the duration of residency for monks and nuns to a maximum of 15 years. Additionally, there will be a requirement for all religious practitioners to register with authorities. Plans also include reducing the overall number of monks and nuns at the monastery.
Furthermore, Chinese students are allegedly being asked to leave, signaling a targeted approach to decreasing the population at the site.
A series of government crackdown over the years
Larung Gar, which was founded in 1980, has witnessed a series of crackdowns from the communist nation over the years.
The institute faced major repression in 2001 and again in 2016-2017, when thousands of buildings were demolished, and many practitioners were forcibly evicted.
The demolition began on July 20, 2016, and continued until May 2017. Over the years, its population has nearly halved from around 10,000 to a smaller number.
Demolitions for renovation?
As per a statement by the local government in 2016, officials clarified that their intention was never to “demolish” the monastery. Instead, they explained that a comprehensive plan had been developed to renovate the area, the Diplomat reported.
However, Free Tibet criticized the Chinese government’s approach, questioning why, if the local government’s intentions were genuine, they would not allow foreign journalists to visit and observe the situation firsthand.
The Tibet issue remains a longstanding source of conflict for China. Historically an independent region, Tibet was encroached upon by the Chinese People’s Liberation Army in 1950, and by 1951, China claimed sovereignty over it, sparking political unrest.
A significant uprising in 1959 forced the Dalai Lama to flee to India, where he established the Tibetan government-in-exile, according to the CTA.
While China views Tibet as an inseparable part of its territory, many Tibetans continue to advocate for greater autonomy or independence.
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