Dharamshala — Chinese authorities stepped up restrictions on Tibetans, particularly monks, to mark the 90th birthday of His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama. The Chinese authorities restrict the movements of Tibetan monks, and when they have to leave the monasteries, they have to keep their identity documents in the Chinese authorities in the Monasteries.
The celebration of His Holiness the Dalai Lama's birthday in Tibet is seen as a threat to China's ‘national unity’, despite the fact that the whole world regards him as a messenger of peace and non-violence, a beacon of peace.
The Chinese government detains, arrests, tortures and even imprisons Tibetans for years simply for keeping photos of their spiritual leader, His Holiness the Dalai Lama, his book, his teaching videos and celebrate His Holiness's birthday secretly. This 6th July marks the 90th birthday of His Holiness the Dalai Lama and the Chinese authorities have tightened their control over Tibetans, particularly monks, for fear that they will celebrate his 90th birthday or organise demonstrations against the Chinese government and call for the return of His Holiness the Dalai Lama as they done before.
According to a reliable source, the Chinese authorities in Tibetan monasteries restrict the monks' movements and when they have to leave the monasteries, they have to keep their identity documents with the Chinese authorities in the monasteries, who control and monitor the monks' daily lives.
“My friend (monk) told me that when they have to leave the monastery to work, go back home or go to the cities, they have to keep their identity documents with the Chinese authorities in the Monastery, who also ask them a lot of questions, such as where they are going, what they are going to do, and so on,” the source told TPI, who lives in India and wishes to remain anonymous for security reason.
The Chinese government has issued a statement warning Tibetans that Tibetans, particularly monks on early April, 2024, cannot do anything related to His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama, including keeping and hanging a picture of him and praying for him.
The Chinese government has stepped up its attempts to propagate the so-called “thoughts of Chinese President Xi Jinping” and “ideological and political education” among Tibetan monks and has forced them to watch ideological and political education videos in Tibetan monasteries.
Chinese authorities arrested a Tibetan monk called Jampa Choephel from Rebgong County, in March, 2024, for posting the teachings of His Holiness the Dalai Lama on his social media platform (Wechat). After five months in detention, he was sentenced by a Chinese court last month to one and a half years in prison.
Chinese authorities arrested young Tibetan monk named Tenzin Chenrab and writer from Nyakchu County, in eastern Tibet, in September 2023, for possessing a photo of Tibet's spiritual leader, His Holiness the Dalai Lama, and several e-books in his phone.
Tibetan officials are not allowed to practice religion, nor are their children allowed to go to monasteries and study Buddhism, even though it is their religion. The Chinese government wants Tibetans to be cut off from their secular religion, the lamas, the monks and their beloved spiritual leader, His Holiness the Dalai Lama. If the Chinese authorities find out that Tibetan officials and their children are attending monasteries and practicing religion, they will remove them from their jobs and positions and, even worse, put them in jail. That's why they have to unwillingly sign the "pledge book for party members and cadres do not believe in religion".
