DEMOLITION OF HOUSING CONTINUING AT LARGE TIBETAN MONASTERY

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 CHENGDU 000094

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR EAP/CM, DRL AND G/STC
BANGKOK FOR USAID/MSTIEVATER

E.O. 12958: DECL: 4/9/2027
TAGS: PHUM PGOV CH
SUBJECT: DEMOLITION OF HOUSING CONTINUING AT LARGE TIBETAN MONASTERY
IN EFFORT TO REDUCE NUMBER OF MONKS


CHENGDU 00000094 001.2 OF 002


CLASSIFIED BY: Kathryn Pongonis, Acting Consul General, United
States Consulate, Chengdu.
REASON: 1.4 (b),(d)




1. (C) Summary: A reincarnate lama from one of Sichuan's
largest and fastest growing Tibetan Buddhist monasteries said
local authorities are under orders to control and reduce the
number of monks and nuns there. The monastery currently houses
5,000 monks and 3,000 nuns, and local work teams are stepping up
efforts to destroy monastic dwellings to control and reduce the
population, focusing on "deporting" monks and nuns from outside
the local area. Hundreds of young monks and nuns under the age
of 18 reside and are educated in the monastery, but must hide
during official inspections. The reincarnate stated that the
Democratic Management Committee of the monastery is an "empty
organization" maintained only "for the sake of officials" and
does not routinely carry out required "patriotic" education.
End Summary.

Sichuan Authorities Destroy Monks' Homes
--------------

2. (C) Yega (one name) (strictly protect),a reincarnate lama
(Rinpoche) from Yachen Monastery, one of Sichuan's largest and
fastest growing, told Poloff during a private April 4 meeting in
Chengdu that local authorities continue to try to reduce the
size of his monastery, which currently houses 5,000 monks and
3,000 nuns. (Note: Government attempts to reduce the size of
Yachen have been going on since at least 2001. End Note.) In
particular, the Palyul County Party Committee, United Front Work
Department and Religious Affairs Bureau are acting under
Prefecture-level orders to destroy monks' and nuns' dwellings in
order to try to control a large and growing monastic population.
Yega Rinpoche said that since 2000, approximately 2,300 monastic
homes and meditation houses have been destroyed by the county
government. In 2005 about 1,500 houses were destroyed, and an
additional 230 houses were knocked down in 2006. Ganzi
Prefecture's official Chinese website touted these actions as
"accomplishments" in religious management in 2005. This year,
Yega Rinpoche related, the local government has instituted a
"plan" and is requiring Yachen Monastery to destroy more houses,
build roads, number and label all monastic houses, and register
monks and nuns (Comment: These actions are similar to those
taken at Serthar Buddhist encampment in Sichuan in 2002, which
at its height grew to 9,000 adherents. End comment.)


3. (C) Yega Rinpoche commented that the government finds it
difficult to control monks and nuns from coming to the
monastery, but hopes to control the flow by placing limits on
construction of monastic houses. In order to accomplish this
goal, the government has drawn a line around the monastery, and
monastic leaders have been told "to stay within the official
line and not to expend the monastery outside of it." Yega
Rinpoche said it is nearly impossible to comply with this order
because the monastic population is growing and there is no place
to build meditation houses for newcomers.

Large Population Draws Attention
--------------

4. (C) In answer to Congenoff's question, Yega Rinpoche said he
thinks Yachen Monastery has drawn government attention because
of its large monastic population as well as the fact that the
majority of monks and nuns come from outside Palyul County.
There are currently 5,000 monks and 3,000 nuns, but Yega
Rinpoche acknowledged the Monastery usually tells the government
there are only 5,000 total. The vast majority of these monks
and nuns are unregistered, or have no official legal permission
from the government to reside there. This year, according to
Yega Rinpoche, the government will require that 1,000 monks and
nuns officially register. He noted that no more than 1,000
monks would be permitted to register and the remainder would
have no official legal status.

"Deportation" of Outside Monks
--------------

5. (C) Yega Rinpoche said that only 80 monks were from Palyul
County and that the government has in the past focused on
"deporting" the non-local monks and nuns from the monastery. He
pointed out that in 2001 and 2002, over 30 trucks came to
transport monks and nuns back to their original places of
origin. Yega Rinpoche said monks and nuns who were removed now
live in Ganzi County in Yushul Prefecture and in Chamdo
Prefecture. The 200 reincarnate lamas that reside in Yachen
were not targeted for removal, according to Yega Rinpoche. Of
these 200 lamas, only two, himself and Abott Achu Rinpoche, have
official registration certificates from the government.


CHENGDU 00000094 002.2 OF 002



6. (C) In addition to Tibetan Buddhist monks from outside of
Palyul County, there are also a good number of Han Chinese
Buddhists who reside in Yachen. Yega Rinpoche noted the
government prohibition on establishment of contacts between
Tibetan Buddhism and Chinese Buddhism, but said Chinese Buddhist
adherents still come to the monastery because it is known for
strong meditational practices.

Education of Young Monks and Nuns
--------------

7. (C) There are currently approximately 300 monks and nuns
under 18 years old who reside in the monastery, but their
presence is not permitted by local officials, Yega stated.
During official investigations, monastery leaders instruct these
young people to hide. The monastery sought approval for
construction and establishment of a school for these young
people, but were refused official permission. Yega said the
monks decided to build a simple house and now train the young
monks and nuns secretly.

Democratic Management Committee "In Name Only"
--------------

8. (C) Yega Rinpoche is a member of the Ganzi Prefecture
People's Party Consultative Conference (CPPCC) and Director of
the monastery's Democratic Management Committee (DMC). When
asked about the structure and tasks of the DMC, Yega Rinpoche
stated the DMC at Yachen was an "empty organization" that
existed "in name only." He added that the monastery has
instructions from the prefecture level to have such a committee,
so they maintained the name "for the sake of the officials."
When asked if the monastery carried out "patriotic" or political
education, Yega Rinpoche responded that it was a requirement,
but that the monastery did not require attendance on a regular
basis outside of official inspections.


9. (C) Yega Rinpoche said it was very hard to have a real DMC,
or to be a real DMC director because the official rules and
regulations violated Buddhist principles. He also acknowledged
it was extremely difficult for him to be a member of the CPPCC,
but that he had to keep the membership for the good of the
monastery. At the same time, Yega Rinpoche emphasized that he
would never give up his religious faith for his political
affiliations, saying, "faith is in one's heart and mind, and
cannot be easily removed." He said, for example, "keeping a
photograph of the Dalai Lama is illegal, so we always take them
down for official inspections, and put them back up after the
officials are gone."

Thankful for United States Government Support
--------------

10. (C) Yega Rinpoche said he was surprised the United States
Government had heard of the limits on monastic populations and
destruction of dwellings in Yachen Monastery. He added that he
had heard the U.S. government was doing a lot for the people of
Tibet. He concluded by emphasizing the importance of continued
outside support and thanked us for our work.
BOUGHNER