Tibetan NGOs in Dharamsala hold prayer protest on ‘Global Day of Action for Larung Gar’

By Lobsang Tenchoe

DHARAMSALA, Oct 20: Tibetan NGOs in Dharamsala condemned China’s forced demolition of Larung Gar and launched a campaign, ‘Dharamsala stands with Larung Gar on Global Day of Action for Larung Gar yesterday.

Five Tibetan NGOs, Tibetan Youth Congress, Tibetan Women’s Association, Gu-Chu-Sum Movement of Tibet, Student’s for a Free Tibet and National Democratic Party for Tibet led the ‘Global Day of Action’ for Larung Gar here in Dharamsala.

The Tibetan NGOs collectively organized a mass prayer protest at the TCV Day School yesterday at 5:00 pm. Local Tibetan monks and nuns led the protest attended by a large number of Tibetans and Tibet supporters.

“Larung Gar has been undergoing forced demolition of monks and nun’s residences ordered by Chinese officials. China plans to carry the onslaught till 2017. We are here to grieve with the Tibetan monks and nuns suffering from the ongoing forced demolition.  To express our solidarity with them, we have hosted the mass prayer,” Lhagyari Namgyal Dolkar, President of the Gu-Chu-Sum Movement of Tibet said and further urged for a global intervention to save Larung Gar from forced demolitions.

14793697_1290799007631173_1456973920_n“Since 2011, local Chinese authorities started to actively engage in expelling monks and nuns from the academy, destroy their quarters and control their religious activities. This drove peaceful Buddhist practitioners to commit suicide and further caused the demise of aggrieved abbot Khenpo Jigmey Phuntsok,” the NGOs said in a joint press statement condemning the forced demolition of Larung Gar.

“Chinese government has turned Serta Larung Gar Buddhist Academy into a precarious prison and monks and nuns are subjected to secret detention,” the statement added.

The NGOs concluded their joint press statement by urging the peace and truth loving citizens of the world to pressure China to stop the ongoing forced demolition of Larung Gar.

14794036_1290799074297833_1758668158_nTibetans and Tibet supporters across the world marked the day to express solidarity with the Tibetans suffering from the ongoing forced demolition of their residences at Larung Gar in Tibet yesterday.

Over 180 Tibet groups from Tibet, Asia, Africa, the Americas, Australasia and Europe took part in the Global Day of Action for Larung Gar across 20 cities around the world.