Chinese authorities resume demolitions at Larung Gar Buddhist Institute, says TCHRD report

As mentioned in the TCHRD report, the latest demolition campaign began on July 13 and is reportedly being carried out during the night. Citing the International Campaign for Tibet (ICT), the report stated that at least six monastic residences had already been demolished by July 15, while approximately 1,060 more have been earmarked for demolition. The latest drive follows last year's eviction of around 1,000 monks and nuns from Larung Gar. Chinese authorities reportedly cited the absence of proper residential documentation and announced plans to reduce the number of residences from around 6,000 to the government-mandated limit of 5,000.

According to the TCHRD report, the renewed demolitions indicate that the Chinese government's campaign against Larung Gar remains ongoing and forms part of a broader policy aimed at reducing the institute's monastic population, strengthening state control over Tibetan Buddhist institutions and reshaping religious practice in line with the Chinese Communist Party's (CCP) policy of the Sinicization of religion.

Located in Serthar (Seda) County in Kardze (Ganzi) Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture of Sichuan Province, Larung Gar was founded in 1980 by the late Khenpo Jigme Phuntsok. According to the report, it grew into the world's largest Tibetan Buddhist institute, attracting nearly 10,000 monks, nuns, lay practitioners and students from Tibet, China and abroad. The institute has long been regarded as one of the most important centres for Tibetan Buddhist learning and the preservation of Tibetan religious traditions.

The TCHRD report noted that Larung Gar has faced repeated state-led demolition and eviction campaigns for more than two decades. It highlighted the large-scale crackdown launched in July 2016, when Chinese authorities demolished thousands of monastic quarters and forcibly evicted thousands of monks and nuns. The report stated that by May 2017, authorities had demolished 4,725 residences and evicted 4,828 monks and nuns after implementing government directives to reduce the institute's population.

The report also highlighted Larung Gar's unique role in promoting women's religious education. It noted that the institute established Tibet's first nunnery authorised to confer the khenmo degree--the highest academic qualification for Buddhist nuns--and has enabled more than 100 nuns to attain the qualification after years of advanced religious study. According to TCHRD, the institute has also served as an important centre of education, spiritual guidance and social support for Tibetan women, particularly those from vulnerable backgrounds.

According to the report, the demolition campaign has also had serious human consequences. It recalled that during the 2016 demolition drive, two Tibetan nuns, Tsering Dolma and Semgha, died by suicide amid the destruction of their residential area. The report further stated that following the 2016 crackdown, Chinese authorities appointed CCP members to key administrative positions at Larung Gar, replacing the institute's traditional system of monastic self-governance with Party-led management.

The TCHRD report further stated that the latest demolition campaign comes amid increasing restrictions on freedom of religion in Tibet under Chinese President Xi Jinping. It said Tibetan Buddhist institutions have faced intensified political education campaigns, heightened surveillance, restrictions on religious education and tighter Party control under the policy of Sinicisation. According to the organisation, the repeated demolitions, mass evictions and restructuring of Larung Gar demonstrate that the Chinese government's objective extends beyond reducing the institute's physical size and is aimed at dismantling autonomous centres of Tibetan Buddhist learning and bringing them under direct CCP control. (ANI)