-Radio Free Asia

The razing of Padmasambhava is seen as the latest infringement on Tibetan religious freedom.

The Chinese government has demolished a third Tibetan Buddhist statue in what sources told RFA is the latest example of official efforts to stamp out the Tibetans’ religious traditions.

The statue of Padmasambhava, also known as Guru Rinpoche, is the third verified by RFA as having been destroyed by Chinese officials since December. It once stood three-stories high at the Chanang Monastery in Drago (in Chinese Luhuo) county of the Kardze (in Ganzi) Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture. It was razed in late January, sources living in exile and satellite imagery revealed.

“This is the second massive destruction in Drago in January alone,” a Tibetan living in exile told RFA’s Tibetan Service.

RFA reported that another three-story statue at a different monastery in Drago had been destroyed in early January, only weeks after authorities toppled a 99-foot Buddha statue just 900 meters (2,700) away. A three-story structure is around 40 feet high. Click here to read more.