By Tenzin Dharpo
DHARAMSHALA, Oct. 14: In a renewed and stricter measures imposed on areas in Driru County in Tibetan Autonomous Region, monastic institutions and personal properties belonging to resident Tibetans have come under the radar of the Chinese authorities. Mass expulsion of nuns, land grabbing and restriction on the teaching curriculum of monastic institutions have been reported by Dharamshala based rights group Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy.
On Sep. 27, “Sangye Yeshi, the Diru County government head visited Jada Gaden Khachoeling Nunnery and expelled 100 of the total 200 nuns from the nunnery,” stated TCHRD.
The particular nunnery situated in the Pekar Township in Driru County has now 100 nuns left of which only 49 are registered nuns. The remaining 51 nuns are working in the nunnery’s guesthouse, shops and administrative positions, and have no legal right to study, according to the TCHRD.
The 100 expelled nuns have been barred from wearing their robes and denied permission to travel to other places to study. Failure to adhere to orders result in punishment for the concerned nun or their family losing the right to harvest Yartsa-Gunbu (fungus caterpillar) for three years or worse, imprisonment.
Nuns above 50 years of age are not allowed to live in the monasteries with a new regulation for such nuns to be moved to elderly homes.
In Townships of Sentsa and Yangshoe in Driru County, properties like old Tibetan homes, their courtyards and farmlands have been commandeered by the Chinese authorities under the pretext of ‘development’.
Tibetan homes have been razed and demolished to be rebuilt according to the standards set by the government. The cost of demolition had to be borne by Tibetan home owners who did not want their homes to be demolished in the first place, the TCHRD said.
The cases of land grabbing are rising to accommodate more Chinese settlers in the region.
Another monastery in the Pekar Township, Driru County, and an ancient Bon monastery called Ngotsar Phunstokling have also been brought under the scope. The huge success of their philosophy class that attracted distinguished scholars from Kyomgpo and other regions had many students enrolling in the class. The Chinese authorities stopped the philosophy class and put restrictions on the teaching curriculums of the monastic institutions.
The report also revealed that local Tibetans hold a man of Tibetan descent from Chamdo called Sangye Tashi, the County head, responsible for the many new regulations and campaigns that have violated the rights of Tibetans and the ongoing oppressive situations in Driru County.
Looking at the whole culture of repression and scrutiny in Tibet and its cyclic nature, and particularly from areas like Driru and Ngaba from where information exposing grave situations of Tibetans under the Chinese emerges, TCHRD Researcher Tenzin Nyinjey speaking to Phayul opines, “The Chinese are caught in a vicious cycle. More repression means more opposition. More liberal policies means more empowerment of the Tibetan people, leading to more demands. Like all occupation powers, the Chinese have fallen in a trap inside Tibet.”
