The Peoples Republic of China, known throughout the world for its hegemony, aggressiveness, expansionism, and high-handedness, is devoting considerable resources for hijacking international Buddhism and marginalising Tibetan Buddhists who look at the government-controlled China Buddhist Association and see what it is, a tool of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) to justify the repression of religious liberty, Bitter Winter reported.
The country aims to substantiate a false claim that there is freedom of religion for Chinese Buddhists. The main rationale is to downplay India as the rightful birthplace of Buddhism, promote China as the main international centre of religion, and promote its puppet Tibetan Buddhist leaders, hoping they pose a serious challenge to the Dalai Lama, as per Bitter Winter.
On June 11, 2023, an Indian scholar called Chandan Kumar said that this tactic is a soft power diplomatic tool used by China to try and make inroads into international Buddhist organisations. He wrote, “China has gained considerable sway over the International Council Day of Vesak (ICDV), the World Fellowship of Buddhists and other organisations in Taiwan and Korea.
This influence is evident in the Common Text Project, which the ICDV undertakes, which has revealed that Tibetan Buddhists are being marginalised. The Chinese texts have been given more importance and prominence over Tibetan sources. In 2021, China started the South China Sea Buddhism Foundation to influence the Buddhist countries in the South China Sea.
The first South China Sea Roundtable was organised in Shenzhen in 2021, and the second one was observed and organised in Phnom Penh, the capital city of Cambodia. The aim of the roundtable is to cooperated with Buddhist temples and monasteries in the South China Sea.”
According to Bitter Winter, China makes people believe that Padmasambhava (a major figure in Tibetan Buddhism that tames the spirits and demons convert into Guardians of the Buddha) was born in Pakistan and that Pakistan played a key role in the early history of Buddhism. They do not insist on this because of philanthropy or their political alliance with Pakistan. China is generously funding the archaeological and restoration of works in Buddhist sites in Pakistan.
The illegal occupation and coercive annexation of Tibetans began in 1950. The Tibetans lack the right to study and freely practice their religion. Religion, one of the main targets of the Chinese government, promotes a complete Sinicsation of Tibet. Monastic institutions, monasteries and nunneries have been kept under the strict control of the Chinese authorities.
The Chinese also destroy Buddhist relics and statues of Gautam Buddha. They even said that the Chinese authorities have a right to decide the selection of Dalai Lama. The Dalai Lama is the spiritual and political head of the Tibetan community.
The China Buddhist Association was established in 1953 and is a part of the red market and includes government-approved Buddhist Temples and associations, whose leaders and chiefs are selected by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP)
There are other restrictions as well. The Tibetan Monks and nuns have been forced to discard their robes, and they cannot even preach or teach centuries-old Tibetan Buddhism and practices to anyone. There are a large number of local authorities and personnel that keep a close watch on the lifestyle. The Tibetans have been severely accused of being involved in separatist activities in Tibet.
Surveillance over the Tibetans in Tibet is strengthened as per the CCP authorities’ wishes. The Tibetan language is endangered and is on the verge of being extinct. Tibetan Schools have been forced to adopt Chinese schooling systems and are coerced to learn Mandarin and follow the mainstream Chinese Han Culture and Confucianism.
Chinese Policies and Propaganda frequently target Buddhist institutions. There is a complete lack of basic Human Rights, and sadly, it has never been considered a case worthy of being seriously selected and taken up by international and intergovernmental entities such as the United Nations.
The Bitter Winter is an online magazine on religious liberty and human rights in China.
