Dharamsala, November 14 – TCHRD received confirmed information through reliable sources that the authorities in Kardze County, and Lithang County in Kardze Tibet Autonomous Prefecture (“TAP”), Sichuan Province, have threatened the local populace with confiscation of their land if they do not hand over portraits of the Dalai Lama within a month.
According to reliable sources, Chinese “Work teams” held meetings in all the villages and townships in Kardze and Lithang Counties on 11 and 12 November 2003. On 11 November, the local authorities and “Work Team” officials commanded a blanket end to activities calling for Tibet’s independence and an instant end to expressing reverence to the Dalai Lama. Accordingly, the community was ordered to hand over portraits of the Dalai Lama displayed in their homes. Unable to achieve a response, the authorities forwarded an assurance that no action would be taken against those who willingly surrendered the portraits. Another meeting was called the next day in pursuance of similar motives but no one handed over the said portraits. The authorities threatened the masses with land confiscation if they do not comply with the order within a month.
“At the end of the deadline, if Dalai Lama portraits are found in any house, the family will lose its land”, the authorities threatened.
It is believed that the authorities summoned the meetings after a Tibetan national flag was found hoisted on an electricity tower in Kardze County in October 2003. The authorities tried to find out the “culprit” but to no avail. In a move to avoid similar incidents in the future, stern measures were taken.
The residents of Kardze and Lithang County, who are mostly farmers, have for generations sustained themselves by farming their land. With the land under threat of confiscation, the community is now anxious about its livelihood.
The background to this latest development: At the Third Tibet Work Forum held in 1994, the Chinese authorities identified the Dalai Lama as a “serpent’s head”. Anti-Dalai Lama campaigns were initially implemented in 1996 with monasteries and nunneries as initial targets. Monks and nuns in Tibet are subjected to political indoctrination wherein they have to denounce the Dalai Lama. The campaign later spread into the lay community as well. In June 2000, “work teams” ransacked every house in Toelung Dechen County for portraits of the Dalai Lama. A bonfire was made of the confiscated portraits. Since the implementation of the anti-Dalai Lama campaign, numerous arrests have taken place in Tibet for either displaying portraits of the Dalai Lama, possessing video or audiotapes of the Dalai Lama, or for chanting, “Long live the Dalai Lama”.
Since 2001, the focus of religious repression seems to have shifted towards Sichuan Province, which in the past enjoyed relative religious freedom. Three of the most prominent religious figures- Geshe Sonam Phuntsok (currently serving his five years’ prison term), Trulku Tenzin Delek (under death sentence with two years’ reprieve) and Khenpo Jigme Phuntsok (who was earlier held in incommunicado detention and his Serthar institute faced mass expulsion and demolition)-were targeted by the Chinese authorities for their allegiance to the Dalai Lama. The pattern of arrest this year seems to indicate intensification of the anti-Dalai Lama drive.
Contact Person: Norzin Dolma/Tenzin Norgay
Phone no: +91 1892 223363/225874/229225
E-mail: dsala@tchrd.org
