By Tenzin Monlam
DHARAMSHALA, January 11: The California based social networking and news website, Reddit, has decided to ban all contents relating to the New Kadampa Tradition (NKT), a London based group known for organizing anti Dalai Lama protests around the world, after “re-examining their posting rules and guidelines.”
The decision comes after users complained about the quality of the Buddhism section of the site. “Following recent news confirming conspiracy theories and speculation for years that the NKT is financially backed by the Chinese Communist Party, we are making an executive decision,” the site’s Buddhism section read.
“While we understand that many who participate in NKT-led events are largely unaware of the political drama, we cannot comfortably ignore the substantial amount of evidence uncovered by international journalism that the CCP is not only financially backing the NKT, but actively using the controversy to sow dissent and employing espionage tactics in the Buddhist community,” the notification on the site says.
The website which houses a collection of entries submitted by its registered users, also highlighted that any content ‘directly related to and in support of the NKT’ will be considered as a political propaganda for the CCP and that it will be ‘swiftly removed’.
“Our position is the Buddhist religion has an ancient history, and we cannot permit a totalitarian regime to interfere with our legacy, sabotage our traditions, and destroy our institutions,” the notification says.
The website, however, welcomes participants of the NKT to engage in discussions, but asked the participants to refrain form making any ill comments on the Dalai Lama or Dorje Shugden.
Reuters report last month revealed ties between Beijing and the followers of the controversial deity who accuse the Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama of banning Shugden worship.
Leaked Communist Party document issued to party officials in 2014 showed Beijing’s instructions calling the Shugden issue ‘an important front in our struggle with the Dalai clique’.
However, the Tibetan leader has always maintained that the Shugden followers are free to worship anyone and that it was his responsibility as a spiritual leader to show them the proper way. “There is no ban on their practice. If you go to South India you’ll find people who propitiate this spirit Dolgyal or Shugden have their own monastery beside the larger Tibetan monasteries. This matter has been controversial for almost four centuries. Over the last 80 years since the passing away of the 13th Dalai Lama it has flared up and is strongly associated with sectarianism,” the Tibetan leader told a gathering in England in June last year.
