VZCZCXRO8167
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DE RUEHCN #0094/01 0990542
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
R 090542Z APR 07
FM AMCONSUL CHENGDU
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RHEHAAA/NSC WASHINGTON DC
RUEHCN/AMCONSUL CHENGDU 2956

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 CHENGDU 000094 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR EAP/CM, DRL AND G/STC 
BANGKOK FOR USAID/MSTIEVATER 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL:  4/9/2027 
TAGS: PHUM PGOV CH
SUBJECT: DEMOLITION OF HOUSING CONTINUING AT LARGE TIBETAN MONASTERY 
IN EFFORT TO REDUCE NUMBER OF MONKS 
 
 
CHENGDU 00000094  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
CLASSIFIED BY: Kathryn Pongonis, Acting Consul General, United 
States Consulate, Chengdu. 
REASON: 1.4 (b), (d) 
 
 
 
¶1.  (C) Summary:  A reincarnate lama from one of Sichuan's 
largest and fastest growing Tibetan Buddhist monasteries said 
local authorities are under orders to control and reduce the 
number of monks and nuns there.  The monastery currently houses 
5,000 monks and 3,000 nuns, and local work teams are stepping up 
efforts to destroy monastic dwellings to control and reduce the 
population, focusing on "deporting" monks and nuns from outside 
the local area.  Hundreds of young monks and nuns under the age 
of 18 reside and are educated in the monastery, but must hide 
during official inspections.  The reincarnate stated that the 
Democratic Management Committee of the monastery is an "empty 
organization" maintained only "for the sake of officials" and 
does not routinely carry out required "patriotic" education. 
End Summary. 
 
Sichuan Authorities Destroy Monks' Homes 
------------------------------------------ 
¶2.  (C) Yega (one name) (strictly protect), a reincarnate lama 
(Rinpoche) from Yachen Monastery, one of Sichuan's largest and 
fastest growing, told Poloff during a private April 4 meeting in 
Chengdu that local authorities continue to try to reduce the 
size of his monastery, which currently houses 5,000 monks and 
3,000 nuns.  (Note: Government attempts to reduce the size of 
Yachen have been going on since at least 2001.  End Note.)  In 
particular, the Palyul County Party Committee, United Front Work 
Department and Religious Affairs Bureau are acting under 
Prefecture-level orders to destroy monks' and nuns' dwellings in 
order to try to control a large and growing monastic population. 
Yega Rinpoche said that since 2000, approximately 2,300 monastic 
homes and meditation houses have been destroyed by the county 
government.  In 2005 about 1,500 houses were destroyed, and an 
additional 230 houses were knocked down in 2006.  Ganzi 
Prefecture's official Chinese website touted these actions as 
"accomplishments" in religious management in 2005.  This year, 
Yega Rinpoche related, the local government has instituted a 
"plan" and is requiring Yachen Monastery to destroy more houses, 
build roads, number and label all monastic houses, and register 
monks and nuns (Comment:  These actions are similar to those 
taken at Serthar Buddhist encampment in Sichuan in 2002, which 
at its height grew to 9,000 adherents.  End comment.) 
 
¶3.  (C) Yega Rinpoche commented that the government finds it 
difficult to control monks and nuns from coming to the 
monastery, but hopes to control the flow by placing limits on 
construction of monastic houses.  In order to accomplish this 
goal, the government has drawn a line around the monastery, and 
monastic leaders have been told "to stay within the official 
line and not to expend the monastery outside of it."   Yega 
Rinpoche said it is nearly impossible to comply with this order 
because the monastic population is growing and there is no place 
to build meditation houses for newcomers. 
 
Large Population Draws Attention 
-------------------------------- 
¶4.  (C) In answer to Congenoff's question, Yega Rinpoche said he 
thinks Yachen Monastery has drawn government attention because 
of its large monastic population as well as the fact that the 
majority of monks and nuns come from outside Palyul County. 
There are currently 5,000 monks and 3,000 nuns, but Yega 
Rinpoche acknowledged the Monastery usually tells the government 
there are only 5,000 total.  The vast majority of these monks 
and nuns are unregistered, or have no official legal permission 
from the government to reside there.  This year, according to 
Yega Rinpoche, the government will require that 1,000 monks and 
nuns officially register.  He noted that no more than 1,000 
monks would be permitted to register and the remainder would 
have no official legal status. 
 
"Deportation" of Outside Monks 
------------------------------ 
¶5.  (C) Yega Rinpoche said that only 80 monks were from Palyul 
County and that the government has in the past focused on 
"deporting" the non-local monks and nuns from the monastery.  He 
pointed out that in 2001 and 2002, over 30 trucks came to 
transport monks and nuns back to their original places of 
origin.  Yega Rinpoche said monks and nuns who were removed now 
live in Ganzi County in Yushul Prefecture and in Chamdo 
Prefecture.  The 200 reincarnate lamas that reside in Yachen 
were not targeted for removal, according to Yega Rinpoche.  Of 
these 200 lamas, only two, himself and Abott Achu Rinpoche, have 
official registration certificates from the government. 
 
 
CHENGDU 00000094  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
¶6.  (C) In addition to Tibetan Buddhist monks from outside of 
Palyul County, there are also a good number of Han Chinese 
Buddhists who reside in Yachen.  Yega Rinpoche noted the 
government prohibition on establishment of contacts between 
Tibetan Buddhism and Chinese Buddhism, but said Chinese Buddhist 
adherents still come to the monastery because it is known for 
strong meditational practices. 
 
Education of Young Monks and Nuns 
--------------------------------- 
¶7.  (C) There are currently approximately 300 monks and nuns 
under 18 years old who reside in the monastery, but their 
presence is not permitted by local officials, Yega stated. 
During official investigations, monastery leaders instruct these 
young people to hide.  The monastery sought approval for 
construction and establishment of a school for these young 
people, but were refused official permission.   Yega said the 
monks decided to build a simple house and now train the young 
monks and nuns secretly. 
 
Democratic Management Committee "In Name Only" 
--------------------------------------------- 
¶8.  (C) Yega Rinpoche is a member of the Ganzi Prefecture 
People's Party Consultative Conference (CPPCC) and Director of 
the monastery's Democratic Management Committee (DMC).  When 
asked about the structure and tasks of the DMC, Yega Rinpoche 
stated the DMC at Yachen was an "empty organization" that 
existed "in name only."   He added that the monastery has 
instructions from the prefecture level to have such a committee, 
so they maintained the name "for the sake of the officials." 
When asked if the monastery carried out "patriotic" or political 
education, Yega Rinpoche responded that it was a requirement, 
but that the monastery did not require attendance on a regular 
basis outside of official inspections. 
 
¶9.  (C) Yega Rinpoche said it was very hard to have a real DMC, 
or to be a real DMC director because the official rules and 
regulations violated Buddhist principles.  He also acknowledged 
it was extremely difficult for him to be a member of the CPPCC, 
but that he had to keep the membership for the good of the 
monastery.  At the same time, Yega Rinpoche emphasized that he 
would never give up his religious faith for his political 
affiliations, saying, "faith is in one's heart and mind, and 
cannot be easily removed."  He said, for example, "keeping a 
photograph of the Dalai Lama is illegal, so we always take them 
down for official inspections, and put them back up after the 
officials are gone." 
 
Thankful for United States Government Support 
--------------------------------------------- 
¶10.  (C) Yega Rinpoche said he was surprised the United States 
Government had heard of the limits on monastic populations and 
destruction of dwellings in Yachen Monastery.  He added that he 
had heard the U.S. government was doing a lot for the people of 
Tibet.  He concluded by emphasizing the importance of continued 
outside support and thanked us for our work. 
BOUGHNER