In the latest attack on Tibetan religious institutions, China has expelled more than 1,000 monks and nuns from Larung Gar Buddhist Academy, citing residency restrictions. Authorities have imposed strict surveillance, limited movement, and are planning further demolitions in the coming months.
BY PC Bureau
Chinese authorities have expelled over 1,000 Tibetan monks and nuns from the Larung Gar Buddhist Academy, dealing another major blow to one of the most significant centers of Tibetan Buddhist learning, sources inside Tibet told Radio Free Asia (RFA).
According to an RFA report, officials cited a lack of proper residency documentation as justification for the expulsions, stating that the number of Buddhist clergy at the academy must be reduced from 6,000 to 5,000.
This move is part of a long-standing effort by Beijing to diminish and control Larung Gar, which once housed around 40,000 Buddhist monastics in the early 2000s. In 2016, Chinese authorities demolished half of the academy and expelled thousands of monks and nuns. County officials at the time issued a directive outlining plans for widespread demolitions and forced removals from 2016 to 2017.
China’s revised “Measures for the Administration of Tibetan Buddhist Temples” impose tighter state control over Tibetan Buddhism, enforcing political ideology in religious affairs, furthering CCP’s agenda of forced cultural assimilation & sinicization of religion.
Link in bio. pic.twitter.com/ysiQrKzsOM
— Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy (@tchrd_) February 14, 2025
The latest crackdown escalated in December 2024, when approximately 400 officials and police were deployed to Larung Gar, located in Serthar County (Seda in Chinese) within the Kardze (Ganzi) Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture of Sichuan province. Officials have pressured Buddhist clergy to leave voluntarily, sources said.
“Those expelled have been ordered to leave under the pretext of lacking proper residency documents,” a source reported. “To avoid drawing public attention, more than 1,000 monks and nuns have been gradually forced out over the past month.”
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Authorities have stationed government officials at the academy, enforcing strict restrictions on movement for monks, nuns, pilgrims, and tourists.
“They are strictly prohibited from freely taking photos and are only allowed to visit designated areas within the monastery,” the source added.
Residences belonging to the expelled Buddhist clergy have been marked for demolition, though they have not yet been torn down. Further demolitions are expected in April, when plans to construct a road through the monastery are set to begin.
Larung Gar, once a thriving center of Tibetan Buddhism, now a prison without walls.
Since late 2024, over 1,000 monks & nuns have been expelled under false pretexts. Surveillance tightens, demolitions loom, and silence is enforced. But the truth will not be buried.#FreeTibet pic.twitter.com/xqoKoM8nwv— Tibet Culture (@CultureTibet) February 13, 2025
Part of a Broader Strategy
The ongoing crackdown is seen as part of Beijing’s larger strategy to weaken religious institutions, particularly those associated with Tibetan Buddhism.
While Chinese authorities claim such measures are meant to maintain social stability, rights activists argue they are intended to suppress Tibetan religious and cultural identity.
Starting this year, Beijing plans to introduce a 15-year residency limit for Buddhist clergy at Larung Gar. Additionally, a mandatory registration system will be implemented, likely forcing Chinese students to leave, according to a report by Phayul, a Tibet-focused news website.
