US asks China to stop interfering in religious freedom in Tibet following latest reports of monastic demolitions

The US State Department has on Oct 29 called on China to stop interfering with the religious freedom of the Tibetan people following reports that authorities had begun demolishing the residential quarters of some 200 monks at a monastery in Sershul (Chinese: Shiqu) County of Kardze (Ganzi) Prefecture, Sichuan Province. This preceded another large-scale demolition work carried out in another major Buddhist study centre in the same prefecture.

The demolitions were begun over Oct 25-26 in the county’s Dza Sershul Thekchen Dargyeling Monastery, reported rfa.org Oct 29, citing a local source who spoke on condition of anonymity for personal safety reasons. +“Everything is over now,” the source has said. “We are losing everything.”

The report cited a US State Department spokesperson as saying the demolitions in Sershul reflected broader Chinese government efforts to bring spiritual institutions, religious education, and monastic life under government control.

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