Urgent Action: Protest and Crackdown at Drepung Monastery

Chinese officials detain monks for rare protest and close monastery.

Please click below to demand the release and reinstatement of monks detained and expelled during the recent crackdown at Drepung monastery in Tibet. Following the expulsion of five monks, rare protests broke out against China’s "patriotic education" campaign, which requires Tibetans to denounce the Dalai Lama and pledge allegiance to China.  An undetermined number of monks were beaten and arrested and the monastery was closed. Despite China's claims that "patriotic education" in Tibet has been stopped, recent reports indicate it has actually intensified.

Sample Letter for Campaign

Subject: Stop the crackdown at Drepung Monastery.

Dear [ Decision Maker ] ,

I am very concerned to learn that monks at Drepung monastery were recently expelled, beaten and detained for peacefully protesting the "patriotic education" campaign. It is also disturbing to me that this campaign continues in Tibet despite your government's claims to the contrary.

"Patriotic education" is a blatant attempt by the Chinese government to control religious practice in Tibet and must be stopped. The actions at Drepung cast a dark shadow over President Hu Jintao's recent assurances to U.S. President George Bush that China's human rights situation is improving. I will be contacting my government representatives to ensure that they hear about this incident.

I urge you to take immediate steps to release and reinstate all monks who have been unjustly expelled and detained during the "patriotic education" campaign at Drepung monastery.

Sincerely,

Campaign Launched:
November 30, 2005


Background Information

According to a report by Radio Free Asia, on November 23rd, a senior monk and four others at Drepung monastery were detained for refusing to denounce the Dalai Lama as a "separatist" and show allegiance to China by accepting Tibet "as a part of China."  Two days after the detentions, on November 25th, an unknown number of monks from Drepung monastery gathered in the courtyard and sat in silent protest. Some reports have said that up to 400 monks may have participated in the protest. PSB officials threatened to remove them by force and sealed the monastery to prevent anyone entering or leaving. 

According to an official at Drepung, the monastery was closed under the guise of "conducting fire drills and completing an annual inspection of cultural items". The source confirmed that, “No devotees are allowed to go inside and no monks were allowed to move out of the monastery. There were several Chinese soldiers inside and around Drepung monastery”.  According to a report by the Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy, the peaceful protest was violently quashed and resisting monks were beaten and detained.  Severe restrictions have been placed on all monks at the monastery.

The brutal crackdown at Drepung comes just days after American President George Bush received assurances from President Hu Jintao that the human rights situation in China and Tibet is improving.  Yet since October 2005, reports from Tibet indicate that “patriotic education” campaigns have intensified along with a growing number of arrests and detentions of dissenting monks. 

Click here to read Radio Free Asia's report on the crackdown at Drepung monastery.