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Buddhist monks, nuns forced to pledge no return to monastery

Authorities continue demolishing monastic dwellings in China's Sichuan province
Buddhist monks, nuns forced to pledge no return to monastery
Published: November 03, 2016 08:36 AM GMT
Updated: November 03, 2016 08:37 AM GMT

Monks and nuns evicted from Larung Gar Buddhist Institute in China's Sichuan province have been forced to sign documents pledging that they will never return, sources have told RFA.

The signed pledges also contain guarantees to "uphold the unity of the nation" and not to show opposition to official policy in the area, said a local anonymous source.

"Those signing also have to acknowledge that they will be held responsible if they break these promises," the source said.

Chinese authorities are continuing demolishing hundreds of monastic dwellings at the historic institute, said the report.

The demolition is believed to correspond with a major drive to impose stronger control over religion in the Tibetan prefectures of Sichuan province.

Since about April, up to 1,000 nuns at Yachen Gar, another major monastic encampment in Sichuan province, have been compelled to leave the institution and return to their homes in the Tibetan Autonomous Region. Yachen Gar, about 300 kilometers southwest of Larung Gar, has an estimated 10,000 residents, mostly nuns.

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