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Chinese authorities have begun a fresh round of demolitions at the Larung Gar Buddhist Academy in eastern Tibet, with at least 1,060 residences of monks and nuns marked for demolition, according to the International Campaign for Tibet (ICT).
Citing a source with knowledge of the developments, the International Campaign for Tibet said the demolitions began around July 13 in Serthar, Kardze Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture in Sichuan province. According to the source, the demolition work is being carried out during nighttime hours, a move believed to be aimed at preventing public documentation, media reporting and satellite surveillance. The source, who requested anonymity due to security concerns, told ICT that six residences had already been demolished by July 15. The International Campaign for Tibet expressed concern that the latest demolition campaign represents a further tightening of restrictions on religious practice in Tibet. The organisation said the move comes amid an escalation of China's coercive assimilation policies following the implementation of the country's new Ethnic Unity and Progress Law, which came into effect on July 1. According to ICT, authorities have earmarked at least 1,060 residences for demolition, although the exact reasons behind the latest action remain unclear because of strict restrictions on information from the region. The organisation also cited observations from a traveller who visited Serthar earlier this year and described widespread restrictions on movement, access and visitor activities, saying the area had become increasingly controlled. Founded in 1980 by the late Tibetan Buddhist master Khenpo Jigme Phuntsok, Larung Gar grew into one of the world's largest centres for Tibetan Buddhist study, meditation, language and culture. The academy attracted thousands of Tibetan monks, nuns and lay practitioners, as well as Chinese Buddhist followers, becoming an internationally recognised centre of Buddhist learning. The International Campaign for Tibet noted that Chinese authorities have repeatedly targeted Larung Gar over the past two decades. In 2001, authorities reportedly demolished large sections of the academy, forcing thousands of monks and nuns to leave. Another large-scale demolition campaign in 2016 and 2017 resulted in the destruction of nearly 5,000 residences and the eviction of around 5,000 monks and nuns. ICT also recalled that in 2017, six United Nations human rights experts raised concerns that the actions at Larung Gar violated international human rights law and amounted to serious attacks on Tibet's cultural and religious heritage. (ANI)
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