freedom

Freedom of Religion  in Tibet (from Save Tibet)

Prior to the Chinese invasion of 1950, Tibet was a country steeped in religion. Religious practice permeated the daily lives of the Tibetan people and formed the social fabric connecting them to the land. Recognizing this, the Chinese focused on destroying this cultural base of the Tibetan people in the hopes of quelling dissent to their rule. In 1960 the International Commission of Jurists found "that the Chinese will not permit adherence to and practice of Buddhism in Tibet.... [and] that they have systematically set out to eradicate this religious belief in Tibet."  

Over 6000 monasteries and sacred places were destroyed by the Chinese. Despite this and the over 40 years of restrain on their religion, the Tibetans continue to seek to practice their religion. Today the practice of religion continues to be severely limited in Tibet. Although there have been some outward improvements in this area, China maintains strict control over religious institutions and practices and the Tibetans are not free to practice and organize their own religion. ICT published Forbidden Freedom and A Season to Purge which took an in-depth look at the issue of religious freedom in Tibet.  

China has shifted its religious policy in Tibet to actively suppress and restrict further religious growth. This shift involves measures to halt unauthorized rebuilding of monasteries destroyed during the Cultural Revolution, setting limits on the number of monks and nuns in all monasteries, enforcing restrictions on youths joining monasteries, prohibiting Tibetan Party members from practicing religion, and strengthen the control of the government and Party over each monastery through "Democratic Management Committees."