Chinese Oppression of Tibetan Religion- Religion Blog 4

by Victoria Rosenthal

As a communist nation, China is one of the strongest powers in the world. Its communist ideals have been imposed since the Chinese Communist Party began to control China in 1948 although it has adapted to the modern world during the many long years of its rule. This is seen in the State Council’s new Regulations on Religious Freedoms ratified in 2005. Despite these modifications to Chinese law that have reduced some of the CCP’s restrictions on human rights and religious freedoms, many of these restrictions remain, especially within Tibet. The CCP’s fear of groups rising against their traditional atheist ideologies has led the CCP to restrict religious freedoms within Tibet although within the Chinese constitution it clearly states in “Article 36 that Chinese citizens ‘enjoy freedom of religious beliefs’” ( Religion In China, Bhattacharji).

            The numerous religious demonstrations and uprisings during the years of Chinese occupation within Tibet have intensified the many restrictions on this country’s religious freedoms and the CCP’s fears of opposition from its citizens. Tibetan monks and nuns have gone as far as setting themselves on fire in order to demonstrate their pain and oppression under Chinese control. According to CNN journalist Costica Bradatan, “since March 2011, about 29 Tibetans, mostly Tibetan monks and nuns, have self-immolated in Tibetan parts of China. In March 2012 alone, seven people self-immolated, and Tibetan exiles in India have set themselves on fire” (The Politics of Tibetan Self Immolations). One of the most well-known uprisings led by Tibetan monks occurred in 2008 within the months leading up to the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. These riots killed nineteen people, many of which were Han Chinese migrants. Many of the Tibetan protesters were arrested; some were killed while in custody (LaFraniere, More Monks Die by Fire in Protest of Beijing). In response to these uprisings and demonstrations, the Chinese Communist Party has imposed stronger restrictions on religious freedoms within Tibet in order to suppress citizens’ disagreement with the Chinese government and their restricting laws. The CCP does this by promoting a negative of view of the Tibetan leader-in-exile, the Dalai Lama. Also, “the state monitors daily operations of major monasteries and it reserves the right to disapprove any individual's application to take up religious orders” (Religion in China, Bhattacharji).

            China’s growing fear of rebellion from the Tibetans stems from religion’s incompatibility with communism. This is based on the communist ideology that citizens’ strong adherence to religion undermines the authority of the communist government over the nation. These religious citizens are more inclined to follow the laws and beliefs of their religion rather than those of the nation they reside in. Therefore, these citizens will find it unnecessary to respect the authority of their government and will possibly oust the government. In response, other nations will view the government as a weak power whose country could be easily seized and exploited as a territory of their own. This ideology applies to China’s oppression of Tibetan religion; China oppresses Tibetan religion to maintain their authority over territory they view as their own, to uphold their reputation as a strong nation, and to prevent foreign invasion. As long as this fear remains embedded in the rule of the Chinese Communist Party, oppression of Tibetan religion will continue.

Works Cited

Bradatan, Costica, and The Opinions Expressed in This Commentary Are Solely Those of                            Costica Bradatan. "The Politics of Tibetan Self-immolations - CNN.com." CNN. Cable News Network, 01 Jan. 1970. Web. 20 May 2012. <http://www.cnn.com/2012/03/28/opinion/bradatan-self-immolation/index.html>.

Bhattacharji, Preeti. "Religion in China." Council on Foreign Relations. Council on Foreign Relations, 16 May 2008. Web. 20 May 2012. <http://www.cfr.org/china/religion-china/p16272>.

Research., Sharon Lafraniere; Li Bibo Contributed. "More Monks Die by Fire In Protest Of Beijing." The New York Times. The New York Times, 10 Jan. 2012. Web. 20 May 2012. <http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/10/world/asia/3-monks-deaths-show-rise-of-self-immolation-among-tibetans.html>.

Oppression on Tibetan Religion - Cristian Gonzalez

         When looking at the Chinese take over of Tibet, one must assess certain aspects of why it happened. Political, economic, and social reasons are attributes to the invasion and oppression of Tibetan life. However, a more specific oppression is overlooked, and that is the oppression of Tibetan religions. Due to the huge social injustices of Chinese communism, Tibetan religion has not been able to flourish. The main reasons for the oppression of Tibetan Buddhism by communist China is Tibet’s lack of the Dalai Lama’s presence, who is the central religious authority, and the lack of violence within Tibetan Buddhism, which leave the Tibetan’s helpless and defenseless.

The Dalai Lama is the face of Tibetan religions (Buddhism), and without his presence, communist China refuse to recognize him as any sort of leader. As stated in the New York Times, “The Chinese consider the Dalai Lama a subversive advocate of Tibetan independence, although he has said he only wants greater autonomy for Tibet.” With all this happening, the Dalai Lama also makes matters worse by relinquishing his political power in Tibet. An article in the New York Times states, “In March 2011, the Dalai Lama announced what he called his retirement, as he prepared to relinquish political power.” Although he might still be considered a major leaders by Tibetans, the Chinese see no need to see him as a leader, which makes them even more powerful than Tibet. The Dalai Lama has made many attempts to advocate autonomy, but this only angers radical Tibetans more because they demand independence. The Dalai Lama’s lack of strong leadership qualities and his overall failure to be in Tibet has led communist China to take over the poor, defenseless nation.

Even though Buddhism is what every Tibetan devotes themselves to, it has made them a weak nation, left them without a military, and allowed Chinese communism to take over. “Tibetan Buddhism is a religion in exile, forced from its homeland when Tibet was conquered by the Chinese” (BBC). The religion is in exile because it has allowed itself to be because of the lack of a strong defense system. Buddhism is a peaceful religion, involving yogic techniques, meditation, and a number of other rituals, but the followers of this tranquil religion need to become more assertive and demand their independence to end communist China’s reign of terror over them. Buddhism emphasizes being a benevolent, nonviolent person, much like the Dalai Lama or Buddha. The ruthless communist China view this benevolence as weakness and make their attack on Tibet. With ease, China takes over Tibet because Tibet lacks a strong military to protect them from invaders. Tibetan Buddhism ruined Tibet’s military and completely allowed for China to take over.

A religion in exile, Buddhism was completely oppressed by communist China. Various factors facilitated the exploit, take over, and oppression of Tibet by China. These factors are the Dalai Lama and the religion itself. If Tibet didn’t focus on religion and had a strong political leader, they would have a chance against the oppressive communist China.

1. "Tibetan Buddhism." BBC News. BBC, 14 Jan. 2004. Web. 02 May 2012. <http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/buddhism/subdivisions/tibetan_1.shtml>.
2. Dalai Lama: The Soul of Tibet. A&E Networks, 1997. DVD
3. Nhá̂t, Hạnh. Living Buddha, Living Christ. New York: Riverhead, 1995. Print
4. "Tibet." News. 28 Mar. 2012. Web. 02 May 2012. <http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/international/countriesandterritories/china/tibet/index.html>.

Oppression of Tibetan Religious Life- Post 2

By Jake Candelaria

When analyzing the struggle between Tibet and China, political and economic differences must be accounted for due to China’s control over Tibet as a territory. However, a large part of the dispute between Tibet and China stems from the social injustices that China has committed, namely its destruction of Tibetan religious life. China’s communism has played a large role in the destruction of Tibetan religions, especially considering that Chinese communism puts its political and economic laws before the social and religious freedoms of the Tibetan people.

            The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has stated in the past and continues to declare that it does not impose any religious restrictions or denials of human rights to the Tibetan people. The Regional Ethnic Autonomy Law (REAL) that China uses to implement laws in its territories states that its laws allow the people of Tibet to manage their own affairs to develop culturally and social i.e. religiously. However, article 7 of the law that states that China has an obligation to protect the interests of the people of Tibet negates that law by stating that local government officlas are to put the interests of the People’s Republic of China before any other interests (Tibet). While the Dalai Lama has stated that he does not wish to seek independence for Tibet but to protect his people’s right to freely practice religion and maintain their culture, China has declared that the Dalai Lama wishes to separate from China all together (Tibet). They have used this idea to control Tibetan religious life by imposing Chinese restrictions on the religious life of the Tibetan people, namely by imprisoning prominent religious leaders who the Chinese have deemed as “endangering state security” (Tibet). An example can be seen in the peaceful protests of Tibetan monks and nuns who were detained after speaking out for religious freedom and the return of the Dalai Lama (China). These Chinese restrictions on Tibetan religious life are deeply rooted in Chinese communism because the Chinese government sees Tibetan religious leaders as political activists who seek independence from China. If China continues to persecute Tibetans for their religious practices, mostly Tibetan Buddhism, then the conflict will never be able to be ended.

            Tibet is rich in culture and religious history. Tibetan Buddhism has lasted for hundreds of years, and the autonomy of Tibet enjoyed religious freedom before Communist China assumed political control over the region to secure its political rights. The Chinese government will not allow Tibetans to freely practice their religions, therefore violating their own code of human rights for the Tibetan people. This conflict will not end if the communism that runs the People’s Republic of China does not release its grip on the social, cultural, and religious life of Tibetans.

 "Tibet." Congressional-Executive Commission on China. Web. 29 April 2012. <http://www.cecc.gov/pages/annualRpt/annualRpt05/2005_6_tibet.php>.

"China (Includes Tibet, Hong Kong, Macau)." U.S. Department of State. U.S. Department of State, 13 Sept. 2011. Web. 01 May 2012. <http://www.state.gov/j/drl/rls/irf/2010_5/168351.htm>.

Oppression of Tibetan Buddhism - Religion Blog 1

By Robert Sweeney

Religious tensions between China and Tibet are obviously due to the sharp difference in their religious beliefs.  Tibet is considered the most spiritual place in the world, while China, being a communist nation, is an atheist state.  However, the tensions that result are not simply due to intolerance of each region’s respective religion, but from China’s condemnation of religion as a poison and its desire to eradicate it within Tibet.  China’s condemnation and oppression of Buddhism is a result of Marxist ideas put into action and the manipulative use of religion by the upper class in Chinese history.

Marx’s idea of communism, as defined by Merriam-Webster, is “the final stage of society in Marxist theory in which the state has withered away and economic goods are distributed equitably.” (Definition of Communism).  Marx believed that to get to this point, there must be class warfare between the rich and the working class.  Upon the end of this struggle, the working class would assume power and create a wage less economic society.  However, religion makes this impossible.  Mason, a member of the Communist Party of Great Britain, says, “…true Christianity, and pacifism lulls into inactivity the best fighting elements of the working class, thereby leaving them entirely at the mercy of the capitalist class, without the will or the means of resistance.” (Mason 1).  In other words, religion is incompatible with communism because it rejects the struggle between classes.  In addition to this idea, China views religion as “a remnant of old China used by the ruling classes to keep power.” (Han 78).  This statement refers to Confucianism and its role in government for nearly all of Chinese history since its introduction to the Cultural Revolution.  Confucianism taught that the ideal human was a human who had attained knowledge and taught that those with knowledge should be revered.  Using this idea, the upper class, which had the money to afford education, used it to legitimize their rule and keep the lower classes at bay.  Therefore, China abhors religion due to the communist idea as well as its manipulative uses in China’s history.

With the understanding of why the Chinese condemn religion, the reason for their oppression of Tibetan Buddhism is clear.  China wants to increase its strength as a nation.  Thus, it wants Tibet as Chinese territory.  China sees potential in Tibet as an economic powerhouse.  However, China views the intense Tibetan spirituality as weakness.  China is aware of the dangers that religion poses, both to the ultimate Marxist goal and to the people of Tibet in regards to oppression.  Thus, China wants to mold Tibet into a powerful Chinese territory; however, the only way to do so, in Chinese eyes, is to eradicate religion.

"Definition of Communism." Merriam-Webster. Merriam-Webster. Web. 15 May 2012. <http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/communism>.

Han, I. A Study of Tibetan-Chinese Political Relations 1950-2008. Web. 29 Apr. 2012. <http://total05.enetworks.jp/assets/files/d-kiyou/01-han.pdf>.

Mason, Leslie. "Marxist Internet Archive." The Conflict Between Communism and Religion. Communist Party of Great Britain. Web. 15 May 2012. <http://www.marxists.org/history/international/comintern/sections/britain/periodicals/communist_review/1924/02/mason.htm>.

China's Oppression of Tibet: History Blog Post 4

By Jake Candelaria

            The struggle that has ensued between China and Tibet from 1945 until the present day surely has more reasons than one. Tension between the two bodies has increased as of late, and does not show signs of stopping. Although there are many political and social reasons why Tibet and China have had problems, it is pretty clear that the Chinese intentions for holding Tibet as a territory are more economic and geographic than anything else.

            China continues to hold claims to Tibet to extract resources from the fertile land while promoting economic growth in the region. The Chinese have shown statistics about Tibetan economic growth due to China’s help, but the figures that China forgot to leave out show that the “beneficiaries” of this growth live mostly in the urban areas of Tibet where the people of Han ethnicity mostly live, with not much growth in rural Tibet where 87 percent of Tibetans live (cecc.gov). Tibetans are unable to compete with surrounding Chinese regions, as well as the Han who live within their borders, and suffer massive poverty because of Chinese stranglehold of their economy. Though the Tibetan national GDP has risen slightly in the past few years, the Tibetan poor are only becoming poorer while China continues to

            Another pressing issue has added tension to the struggle. China has one of the poorest qualities of water in Asia due to its growing population and its struggle to find space to fit its own resources and its people. A recent study has quoted a researcher saying,

“The big issue in Asia, apart from climate change, is whether China will exploit its control of the Tibetan Plateau to increasingly siphon off for its own use the waters of the international rivers that are the lifeblood of the countries located in a contiguous arc from Vietnam to Afghanistan” (uscc.gov).

China is more than willing to take as much water from the Tibetan Plateau through dams as it needs. The Chinese are not only putting nature in harm’s way by creating these water systems, but they are also affecting the Tibetan economy by putting the Tibetan Plateau and its resource of water at risk, potentially devastating agriculture in Tibet which is survival for many poor Tibetans. A government committee on global warming has also stated that the Tibetan tundra will suffer serious warming patterns and temperature increases at the steady rate that they have been, which will only make the sandstorms and droughts of Northern China more devastating (Impact Zone: China).  This will damage an already suffering Tibetan population that cannot even control and regulate its own economy.

Chinese Oppression on Tibet - History Blog Post 3

By Cristian Gonzalez

Social relations between Tibet and China have been extremely hostile and have dated back to the 7th century. Originally, both Tibet and China were under rule of foreign conquerors such as the Mongols and the Manchu. Throughout history, various factors have contributed to the belligerent relationship between the Tibet and China, but they were only social. The hostility between Tibet and China is due to various social issues such as uprisings across Tibet in 2008, the Dalai Lama’s exile, and China’s lack of religion.

The social uprisings across Tibet in 2008 caused extreme hostility between the Tibet and China because that year was the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, and China was forced to produce an image of harmony. According to the New York Times, “Chinese security forces violated international law in suppressing the protest by indiscriminately beating, detaining and fatally shooting civilians in towns across the vast Tibetan plateau in western China.” These riots began in March 2008, and many prominent figures in society such as students, executives, and artists were arrested on some charges of treason or causing a split between Tibet and China. The New York Times described the uprising as a “social nightmare” for the Communist power in rule. To boost their worldly image, communist China needed to create a harmonious image. This image would distract the world from their ongoing hostility towards Tibet. To create a harmonious image, China attempted to make Tibet wealthier and more Chinese. The belligerent relationship between China and Tibet was made worse due to these uprisings across Tibet, and it only angered China more that they had to produce a harmonious image to appeal the world.

The Dalai Lama fled into exile in 1959, and his exile is one of the reasons for the hostility between Tibet and China because Tibet lacked a representative authority to protect them from Chinese invasions. The current Dalai Lama is Tenzin Gyatso, and he escaped during Lhasa the uprising in 1956-1959. Because of the failed revolt, the current Dalai Lama was forced into exile. This exile proved to be a cause for much uprising because the Chinese destroyed the Dalai Lama’s temple and killed thousands of civilians. The Dalai Lama leaving proved to be a careless and selfish mistake, as it facilitated the Chinese take over of Lhasa, and Tibet was left defenseless. However according to the New York Times, in 2009 the Dalai Lama said, “the Chinese Communist Party had transformed Tibet into a “hell on earth” and that the Chinese authorities regarded Tibetans as “criminals deserving to be put to death.”” The angry speech included a furious tone and drove the wrench between Tibet and China even deeper. The Dalai Lama’s exile began the downward spiral of the relationship between Tibet and China.

Tibet and China have a great contrast in their religious policy; Tibet follows Buddhism while China is a communist nation, without any sort of religion. This lack of religion further splits the two nations apart because one doesn’t understand the regulations of the other. Another major issue is that after the uprising in Tibet in 2008, China tried to cover up the revolt by attempting to make Tibet wealthier. However, China’s idea of “making a nation wealthier” is making them their mirror image. China is trying to make Tibet more Chinese by imposing their communist ideas on them. This provokes further uprisings within Tibet against the Chinese government, which further splits the two nations apart. Overall, the harsh relationship between Tibet and China was worsened due to the social problems including uprisings and lack of religion and an authority figure. 


Works Cited:

1. "HISTORY OF TIBET." HistoryWorld. Web. 02 May 2012. <http://www.historyworld.net/wrldhis/PlainTextHistories.asp?historyid=aa71>.
2. "Tibet." News. 28 Mar. 2012. Web. 02 May 2012. <http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/international/countriesandterritories/china/tibet/index.html>.
3. "Tibetan Buddhism." BBC News. BBC, 14 Jan. 2004. Web. 02 May 2012. <http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/buddhism/subdivisions/tibetan_1.shtml>.
4. Smith, Warren W. Tibet's Last Stand? the Tibetan Uprising of 2008 and China's Response. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield, 2010. Print.

Discuss the reasons for the destruction of traditional Tibetan religions by the Chinese communism.