Tibetan Monks Protest Ban on Great Prayer FestivalMonday, 2 March 2009, 6:47 p.m.
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| Security forces have surrounded a Tibetan monastery in Ngapa in eastern Tibet after monks there demonstrated against Chinese repression/Photo:AFP |
Dharamshala:
Nearly two hundred Tibetan
monks in Ngapa prefecture in eastern Tibet
march in protest over the banning of a customary religious ceremony,
sources said.On 1 March, at around 8 a.m. (local time), the
monks of Jonang Sey Thubten Chokgyal Ling monastery in Ngapa protested
when officials from the management committee and police interrupted
Monlam, also known as the Great Prayer Festival, held on 4th -11th day
of the 1st Tibetan month in Tibetan Buddhism.The officials carried out the order issued earlier by the government to ban the Monlam rituals.All the monks gradually rose up to protest the order and insisted to observe the prayer service, sources said.Demanding
the release of all the Tibetans who have been arrested since March last
year, the monks came out of the prayer hall and started marching
towards the main town. But they were stopped on the way by a large
number of military personnel.On the advice from the senior
officials of the monastery to avoid any confrontation and losses, the
monks returned to the monastery. Following the incident, an unknown
large number of army personnel have been stationed around the monastery
amid increased repression.With the re-launch of strike-hard
campaign by the Chinese authorities, there is a heavy presence of armed
security and military forces in most of the cities all over Tibet.
Tibetans, who dare to come out even with a slight hint of their
aspirations have to face torture and detention.Provocative orders have been passed for special celebrations of the Tibetan New Year. In
his New Year message, His Holiness the Dalai Lama made a strong appeal
to the Tibetan people to exercise patience and not to give in to these
provocations so that the precious lives of many Tibetans are not
wasted, and they do not have to undergo torture and suffering.
