By Phurbu Thinley
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Dharamsala, June 13: Earlier on June 5, Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy (TCHRD) released a comprehensive report – Colossal Guru Rinpoche’s statue demolished in Tibet stating “China’s new religious affairs regulations for “TAR” entered into force.”
Phayul today received exclusive pictures taken by an unknown photographer in February 2007 when the Guru Rinpoche’s statue was still under construction and almost nearing its completion.
According to TCHRD’s report; in mid May 2007, Chinese People’s Armed Police (PAP) forcibly demolished the nearly completed huge gold and copper plated statue. It means these photos were taken just months before the statue was actually demolished by the Chinese authorities.
According to the report, the statue was constructed with the fund of about 800,000 Chinese Yuan generously donated by two Chinese devotees from the highly industrialized Mainland city of Guangzhou in Guangdong Province.
The report also stated that, in order to cover up the information from being leaked outside, the Chinese PAP quickly barred pilgrims, devotees and foreign tourists from visiting Samye Monastery. A huge network of Chinese PAP was deployed around the monastery area as per the report.
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Samye Monastery located at the bank of Yarlung River at Dranang County in Lhoka Prefecture “TAR” is believed to be the first monastery ever built in Tibet (779 AD).
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