Tibetan Parliament Condemns Ban on Annual Religious Event in Tibetan Monastery[Wednesday, 6 January 2010, 12:34 pm]

The
Chinese authorities in Barkham County banned the third annual winter
session of religious congregation, which was to be held at Gyalrong
Tsodhun Kirti monastery. The annual religious event which was first
held at Tagtsang Lhamo Kirti monastery in the year 2007 was
subsequently decided to be organised by the four major Kirti
monasteries namely Tagtsang Lhamo Kirti monastery, Ngaba Kirti
monastery, Tsodhun Kirti monastery and Hortsang Kirti monastery turn
wise.As per the information received from the Emergency
Coordination Committee of Kirti monastery at Dharamsala, besides
imposing ban on this congregation, the local Chinese authorities have
warned the Tsodhun monastery of closure and the arrest of monks in the
event of failing to comply with the ban order.The Tsodhun
monastery has spent close to five months to seek permission from the
local authorities as well as from the county office to organise the
annual event but it has now been turned down terming it as political
and unlawful. Severe restrictions have been imposed and the entire
monastery has been put under strict surveillance.The annual
congregation of this magnitude where monks from over fifty monasteries
in Kham and Amdo participate is an enormous opportunity for monks to
excel in their knowledge on a particular and important aspect of
Buddhist tenet called ‘Tsema’ or valid cognition (Pramanna in Sanskrit)
and banning of such a religious event is a despicable display of lack
of religious freedom in Tibet.The Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile
strongly condemns this open act of violating the fundamental human
right of religious freedom and calls upon the government of China to
allow the congregation to take place. We also call upon human rights
and Tibet support groups to take the issue up with the Chinese
authorities.Issued by: The Standing Committee of the Tibetan Parliament-in-ExileDharamsalaDated: 6th January 2010