Arjia Rinpoche Briefs Japanese Parliamentarians on Religious Atrocities in Tibet

April 10, 2024

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Rev. Arjia Rinpoche and the Japanese lawmakers at Japan Upper house Parliament conference hall. Photo:FF

Tokyo: The Japanese Parliamentarian Group monitoring China’s human rights violations invited Rev. Arjia Rinpoche, who is visiting Tokyo, to brief the parliamentarians on his life experience in Tibet and the religious atrocities happening in Tibet at the Parliament building today.

Furuya Keiji, Chairman of China’s Human Rights Monitoring Group, welcomed Rev. Arjia Rinpoche and requested him to enlighten the parliamentarians on the gross violations of religious freedom in Tibet and his experience as a High Lama under repressive Chinese rule.

Rev. Arjia Rinpoche thanked the Parliamentary group for the opportunity to speak at the Parliament conference room. Rinpoche briefed the parliamentarians, staff, and the media on how China invaded Tibet and destroyed monasteries, the religious artefacts, and how monks, including him, were forced to disrobe and denied religious education. He talked about how the 11th Panchen Lama recognised by His Holiness the Dalai Lama was kidnapped and how a false Panchen Lama was installed through dubious means.

Rinpoche said he was given a high religious position only to be controlled and used by the communist leadership. When he was asked to tutor the false Panchen Lama and forced to do things against his religious faith, he decided to flee Tibet. He said.

Shimamura Hakubun, Chairman of the Japanese Parliamentary Group for Tibet, thanked Arjia Rinpoche for his testament and said it greatly helped the parliamentarians to get firsthand information on Chinese religious atrocities in Tibet. He assured Rinpoche that Japan would do its best to address Chinese repression in Tibet and Southern Mongolia.

Rev. Arjia Rinpoche attended to questions from lawmakers on how Japan could help, the relationship with Japanese monasteries, and Tibetan independence.

Rinpoche requested the issuance of statements of support from the Japanese government and the public. On the relationship with Japanese monasteries, Rinpoche said Japanese sangha members greatly respect His Holiness the Dalai Lama and have maintained a good relationship with the Tibetan Buddhist community. On the independence issue, Rinpoche explained His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s Middle Way Approach and requested the support of the Japanese parliament.

Rev. Ajia Rinpoche is a Mongolian, who was recognised as 8th Arjia Rinpoche at the age of two in 1952 by the 10th Panchen Lama.

Representative Dr. Arya of the Liaison Office of His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Prof Akira Ohno of Shizuoka University were among the panel to facilitate Rinpoche’s talk. Jeff helped interpret for Rinpoche. The Japanese version of Rinpoche’s book “Surviving the Dragon” was distributed to the lawmakers at the talk.

-Report filed by the Office of Tibet, Japan