By Phuntsok Yangchen
DHARAMSHALA, November 21: More than a hundred Tibetan nuns of Changlo nunnery in Dhingri County, Shigatse Prefecture of the Tibetan Autonomous Region, have been expelled by the Chinese authorities earlier this year, reported the US based Radio Free Asia.
The move was aimed at nuns living in the nunnery without official permission, reported RFA citing a source.
In March, over a hundred of Changlo Nunnery nuns with “no residency permit” were returned to their homes for two months and were forced to disrobe.
The RFA source further noted that the lives of nuns without permits have become “very difficult”. They are often forced to return back to their homes while many go into hiding into the mountains.
The International Campaign for Tibet said in a report that the new Driru measures indicate a trend towards severe penalties imposed not only on individuals but on entire communities in an attempt to compel Tibetans to fall in line with government policies.
Last week, Chinese authorities expelled 26 Tibetan nuns who are not listed in Chinese government documents from Jhada nunnery in Bhenkar village in Driru County after they refused to denounce Tibetan spiritual leader His Holiness the Dalai Lama from.
Last month, Tibetans were ordered to withdraw their family members enrolled in monasteries and nunneries in Jomda County in Chamdo prefecture of the Tibet Autonomous Region.
Tibetans were also threatened of discontinuation of their government aid among other punishments if they fail to withdraw their family members from monasteries and nunneries.
