From weapons to money, China’s new strategy to stifle Tibet
The new head of the Tibet Autonomous Province plans to invest 600 million yuan to “help” monks and other Tibetan Buddhist religious. China is also launching “model monasteries”, golden ghettoes to undermine the influence of other monasteries on the local population. “A trap,” a source tells AsiaNews.
Lhasa (AsiaNews) – China is trying to attract Tibetan monks to “model monasteries” if they profess loyalty to the Communist regime in opposition to the Dalai Lama and Tibet’s cultural autonomy. It is doing so by offering pensions, tax incentives and limited freedom of worship in such so-called places of prayer.
Chen Quanguo, who was appointed Communist Party chief in the Tibet Autonomous Region in September, made the announcement today. Unlike his predecessor Zhang Qingli, who is blamed for the violent crackdown during the 2008 unrest in Lhasa and surrounding areas, Chen is considered a moderate.
Under Beijing’s news plan, some 600 million yuan (US$ 95 million) would be spent on Buddhist monks, taking the form of pensions, medical insurance and living allowances. More would be also done to develop the Tibetan language in terms of print, audio and video programmes.
However, what appears to be an olive branch comes with a price. In order to help monks (about 50,000 in China’s three-predominantly Tibetan provinces), the authorities want to set up “model monasteries”, new lamaseries closed to the public for monks to live and pray. They would be virtual ghettos for monks. Still, “some might fall for it but not many,” a source told AsiaNews.
This way, the central government wants to undermine the hold monasteries, like that of Kirti, have on young Tibetans. The 12 monks who set themselves on fire in recent weeks to protest Communist rule were all from Kirti. All of them called for the return of the Dalai Lama.
Their action was heard around the world. After the United States and the European Union, other countries called on China to do something to stop the rash of suicides.
As much as Buddhism condemns the practice, allowing it only in extreme cases (and in accordance with a very ancient doctrine), the Dalai Lama said he understood why “desperation” might induce some young people to choose death.
Chen Quanguo, who was appointed Communist Party chief in the Tibet Autonomous Region in September, made the announcement today. Unlike his predecessor Zhang Qingli, who is blamed for the violent crackdown during the 2008 unrest in Lhasa and surrounding areas, Chen is considered a moderate.
Under Beijing’s news plan, some 600 million yuan (US$ 95 million) would be spent on Buddhist monks, taking the form of pensions, medical insurance and living allowances. More would be also done to develop the Tibetan language in terms of print, audio and video programmes.
However, what appears to be an olive branch comes with a price. In order to help monks (about 50,000 in China’s three-predominantly Tibetan provinces), the authorities want to set up “model monasteries”, new lamaseries closed to the public for monks to live and pray. They would be virtual ghettos for monks. Still, “some might fall for it but not many,” a source told AsiaNews.
This way, the central government wants to undermine the hold monasteries, like that of Kirti, have on young Tibetans. The 12 monks who set themselves on fire in recent weeks to protest Communist rule were all from Kirti. All of them called for the return of the Dalai Lama.
Their action was heard around the world. After the United States and the European Union, other countries called on China to do something to stop the rash of suicides.
As much as Buddhism condemns the practice, allowing it only in extreme cases (and in accordance with a very ancient doctrine), the Dalai Lama said he understood why “desperation” might induce some young people to choose death.
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