Monks aged 15 and under in the Tibetan-populated region of Sichuan are forced to leave their monasteries, and Chinese authorities place them in government-run schools, reports Radio Free Asia.
According to a source, the Chinese government has started to expel young monks from their monasteries, and if they refuse to abide, monasteries are threatened to be shut down. Around 20 novices from Jowo Ganden Shedrub Palgyeling monastery and around 200 from Dza Sershul monastery have already been removed, both in Dzachuka, an area in historic Tibet’s eastern region of Kham.
Chinese authorities have long sought to restrict the size and influence of Tibetan Buddhist monasteries, traditionally a focus of Tibetan cultural and national identity.
