By Tenzin Dharpo
DHARAMSHALA, Feb. 24: The Buddhist festival ‘Chotrul Monlam’ observed during the first 15 days of the Tibetan Lunar calendar was marred by Chinese authorities in Tibetan areas of Sichuan and Qinghai, deploying security personnel within monasteries and amidst devotees during the proceedings.
According to Radio Free Asia News Service, Chinese authorities deployed many armed personnel and conducted drills to intimidate the worshippers and people at Kumbum Monastery in Tsoshar Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Qinghai Province.
A RFA source elaborated, “On the last day of the Chotrul Monlam festival on Feb. 22, police carrying weapons merged with the crowd. This caused great inconvenience to the devotees who had gathered at the monastery,”
The authorities in the restive Tibetan areas were prepared and geared to counter any activities involving mass gatherings at the Monlam festival, said a source. Another source said that the security personnel were ordered to closely monitor the proceedings. “They were also ordered not to take time off, except under emergency circumstances,” the RFA quoted the source as saying.
Monasteries and religious leaders such as Tulku Tenzin Delek who died in detention, continue to be targeted by the Chinese authorities.
The recently launched annual report of Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy says, “Religious figures were targeted for disappearance, detention, and, sometimes, death. Local Chinese police also detained monks and laypeople, and in many cases, they used pretence to detain community leaders, who are frequently religious leaders,”
