By Phuntsok Yangchen
DHARAMSHALA, October 29: Chinese authorities in Jomda County in Chamdo prefecture of the Tibet Autonomous Region have ordered Tibetans to withdraw their family members enrolled in monasteries and nunneries, reported US funded Radio Free Asia.
Tibetans were also threatened that they will cease to receive government aid among other punishments if they fail to withdraw their family members from monasteries and nunneries.
“Their [state-issued] identification cards will also be made invalid, and any government assistance–of whatever kind or amount–provided to their families will be withdrawn,” RFA quoted a source as saying.
The order that is said to have been issued directly by the central government was aimed to “control the movements of monks and nuns and size of monasteries in areas seen by Beijing as centers of resistance to Chinese rule.”
Anyone younger than 18 years old was also restricted from becoming monk or nun, according to the directives issued by the government.
According to RFA’s source, monks and nuns were ordered to withdraw from monastic institutes from Larung Gar in Serthar County, Kardze and Yachen Gar in Palyul County, Kardze.
Last month, Chinese authorities launched a month-long “Rectification and Cleansing” campaign in Driru County in Nagchu prefecture and ordered destruction of religious buildings and expel young monks from monasteries, often seen as hotbed for anti-government protests.
