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FM AMCONSUL CHENGDU
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 2510
INFO RUEHOO/CHINA POSTS COLLECTIVE
RHEHAAA/NSC WASHINGTON DC
RUEHCN/AMCONSUL CHENGDU 3038

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 05 CHENGDU 000137 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR EAP/CM, DRL AND G/STC 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL:  5/31/2027 
TAGS: PHUM PGOV CH
SUBJECT: SICHUAN TIBETAN MONASTERIES:  TRYING TO GET THE STORY 
 
REF: CHENGDU 14 
 
CHENGDU 00000137  001.2 OF 005 
 
 
CLASSIFIED BY: James Boughner,  Consul General, United States 
Consulate, Chengdu. 
REASON: 1.4 (b), (d) 
 
 
 
¶1. (C) Summary:  During recent meetings that were tightly 
scripted and filmed at five Buddhist monasteries in Tibetan 
areas of western Sichuan, abbots and local Religious Affairs 
Bureau officials gave us the party line in response to questions 
on specific human rights cases and restrictions on religious 
freedom.  In several private side conversations out of earshot 
of government officials, however, a number of monks volunteered 
brief comments on the actual human rights situation in each of 
their monasteries.  Gomang Monastery Abbot Jamyang Lode Rinpoche 
(strictly protect), who also heads the Tibetan Buddhist College 
in Beijing, privately told CG that Gendun Choekyi Nyima, the 
Eleventh Panchen Lama recognized by the Dalai Lama, is living 
with his parents in strictly-enforced isolation in China's 
capital.  He has been permitted to conduct religious studies and 
messages are passed to him through his parents.  Monks from 
Kirti Monastery in separate discreet conversations said they 
were "not allowed to tell the truth," and that the religious 
situation is "not as good" as officials try to claim.  The 
awkwardness of some of our official meetings aside, we sensed 
overall gratitude from the many monks we encountered, as well as 
from some apparently sympathetic local government officials, 
that the United States is raising human rights cases and asking 
hard questions in difficult-to-access areas of our district. 
End Summary. 
 
Getting Into Aba 
---------------- 
¶2. (U) CG, Congenoff and a Political Section Locally Employed 
Staff Person (LES) traveled by car through Sichuan Province's 
Aba (Tibetan: Ngaba) Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture 
from May 21-25.  Aba Prefecture is located in the northwest of 
Sichuan and is the second largest Tibetan-inhabited area in the 
province.  The total population of the prefecture is 
approximately 850,000, 678,000 of whom are rural residents, 55 
percent are Tibetan, 24 percent are Han Chinese, 18 percent are 
Qiang, and 3 percent are Hui. 
 
¶3. (C) Throughout the trip we were accompanied during all 
meetings and at all meals by Foreign Affairs Office (FAO) 
officials from both the prefecture and county levels, the Deputy 
Party Secretary of the Prefecture, the Director of the 
Prefecture Religious Affairs Bureau (RAB), party representatives 
from the county level, several Public Security Bureau (PSB) 
officers in uniform, and numerous plain-clothes individuals who 
were never introduced.  All of our movements and meetings were 
filmed in their entirety by one of the plain-clothes "minders." 
Abbots at the monasteries we visited were unable to carry on 
frank discussions in official meetings, but tried to convey 
private messages on the margins of meetings while they were out 
of earshot of government officials. 
 
¶4.  (C) This report focuses on the primary objective of the trip 
-- to survey the religious landscape of the prefecture, visit 
monasteries, and raise human rights cases.  Discussions of 
family planning policy and rural economic development will be 
reported in septels. 
 
Raising Human Rights Cases at Prefecture Level 
--------------------------------------------- ------ 
 
¶5. (SBU) During a standard welcome briefing to Aba Prefecture in 
the capital of Maerkang (Tibetan: Barkham), the CG raised the 
following human rights cases with officials from the prefecture 
FAO and RAB: 
 
-  According to international media reports, six monks from 
Khangmar Monastery were arrested and sentenced to varying prison 
terms of eight to twelve years on August 29, 2003.  Monks 
Sherthar, Zoepa and Tsogphel, were sentenced to twelve-year 
terms, and Oeser, to an eight- year term.  Another monk 
identified as Mingyur, and an unnamed thangka painter were also 
arrested and sentenced to one-year terms. The monks were 
arrested in mid January 2003 when they held a long life prayer 
ceremony for the Dalai Lama and for the successful completion of 
the Kalachakra teachings being conducted in India. 
 
-  In 2003, government authorities closed the Aba Kirti Monastic 
School.  The school's 800 students had been monks between the 
ages of 7-20 from poor rural areas without educational 
facilities.  It was reported that some returned to their homes 
while others may have officially registered as monks at the 
monastery to try to pursue studies in Buddhist philosophy. 
 
 
CHENGDU 00000137  002.2 OF 005 
 
 
-  During Kalachakra celebrations in India in January 2006, the 
Dalai Lama appealed to Tibetans not to wear rare wild animal 
furs as part of their traditional clothing.  In February 2006 
eight lay Tibetans organized the collection and destruction of 
animal pelts outside of Kirti Monastery.  It was reported that 
the eight activists were detained for a month and then released. 
 
¶6.  (SBU) In response, Lang Ka, Director of the Aba RAB said 
that with regard to the situation in Khangmar monastery, it is 
the role of the RAB to uphold the law.  He claimed the six monks 
referred to had participated in separatist activities and were 
arrested and charged according to the law.  Without providing 
names, Lang Ka added that some of the monks had been released 
and some remained in jail.  With regard to the closure of the 
Kirti Monastic School, Lang Ka said Aba already had three 
primary schools, and that the fourth one in Kirti was 
unnecessary.  He claimed the students who left the monastic 
school enrolled in public schools to receive nine years of 
compulsory education.  Lang Ka gave no response on the skin 
burning incident outside of Kirti Monastery. 
 
¶7.  (C) Guo Chaowu, Director of the Aba FAO, apparently then 
felt obligated to interject himself into the conversation 
through a series of provocative questions/statements, including 
the war in Iraq; why did the American press report that the 
shooter in the Virginia Tech Massacre was Chinese?; what was the 
CG's opinion on the "China Threat"; etc.  Guo also asserted that 
Chinese traveling to the U.S. -- including "government officials 
from Aba" -- are frequently disappointed by the lack of Buddhist 
monasteries available for their worship.  He concluded his rant, 
however, by noting that the Chinese people are thankful for the 
United States' "One China Policy." 
 
Gomang Monastery in Aba County 
------------------------------ 
 
¶8.  (SBU) Gomang Monastery was established in 1790 by the second 
Kunkyin Jigmed Wangpo and reopened in 1980.  The current abbot, 
Jamyang Lode Rinpoche, a reincarnate lama, has lived in Beijing 
for 20 years and directs the Tibetan Buddhist College there.  He 
said the monastery currently has 500 monks and that monastic 
education is very strong.  The monastery has no economic 
problems, so monks are able to devote time to their studies 
rather than in business ventures to support the monastery. 
Jamyang Rinpoche noted that one monk from Gomang took and passed 
the geshe exam in Beijing in 2006.  (Note:  The Geshe degree is 
the highest degree in Tibetan Buddhism and traditionally 
requires 20 years of study before a monk is prepared to take the 
examination in the Jokhang Temple in Lhasa.  The "new" geshe 
exam referred to by the abbot is a test created by United Front 
Work Department (UFWD) and Ethnic and Religious Affairs 
Ministry, and is officially billed as being "higher" or more 
prestigious than the Geshe Larampa exam administered in Lhasa. 
End Note). 
 
¶9. (C) The CG queried Jamyang Rinpoche (strictly protect) on his 
opinion about Gendun Choekyi Nyima, the Eleventh Panchen Lama 
recognized by the Dalai Lama in 1995.  The Rinpoche said he 
respects the Goverment's choice of Gyaltsen Norbu as the 
Eleventh Panchen, and thinks the selection process was correct. 
He noted he attended the ceremony to seat the Beijing Panchen 
Lama.  The Panchen visited Gomang Monastery in 2005 and the 
Rinpoche frequently sees him at the Buddhist College in Beijing. 
 Jamyang Rinpoche stated that once in the past, Beijing 
religious figures had been called to a meeting with the UFWD and 
told that Gendun Choekyi Nyima is "protected" in Beijing.  In 
stark contrast to his earlier statement about the "correct" 
selection process for the Beijing Panchen, however, the Rinpoche 
stated he had personally met with the Tenth Panchen Lama before 
his death and that they had discussed how incarnations are 
properly discovered.  The Tenth Panchen Lama told Jamyang 
Rinpoche that all important reincarnations must be identified in 
front of the Buddha image in the Jokhang Temple in Lhasa. 
 
¶10. (C) Note: During a subsequent tour of Gomang's main temple 
in a brief moment out of earshot of government minders, Jamyang 
Rinpoche privately told the CG that, although he has not 
personally been allowed to see Gendun Choekyi Nyima, he knows 
the Eleventh Panchen is living with his father and mother in 
Beijing and that he believes him to be well.  Gendun Choekyi 
Nyima has been able to carry out religious studies, but access 
to him is very tightly controlled.  The Rinpoche noted he has 
been able to can pass messages to Gendun Choekyi Nyima through 
the young man's father.  The Rinpoche added that the father was 
recently permitted to return to the family's home village in 
Naqchu Prefecture in the Tibetan Autonomous Region (TAR). 
Continuing on the tour of the temple and climbing to its top 
floor, CG observed a large photograph of the Tenth Panchen Lama, 
but no visible photo of the Beijing Panchen.  On the way out of 
the temple, a large number of pilgrims that had been cleared out 
 
CHENGDU 00000137  003.2 OF 005 
 
 
prior to our tour bowed as Jamyang Rinpoche passed by.  One of 
the county-level RAB officials, who himself was clearly treating 
the Rinpoche with great respect, softly whispered to CG, 
"Witness the power of religion!"  End Note. 
 
¶11. (C) In response to questions from Congenoff, Jamyang 
Rinpoche said the monastery has few monks from outside of the 
Prefecture and no unregistered monks or monks under the age of 
¶18.  The Rinpoche did not respond to questions on what will 
happen after the Dalai Lama's death or the harsh rhetoric of TAR 
Party Secretary Zhang Qingli.  Jamyang Rinpoche told the CG he 
thinks raising human rights cases is "good" and compared it to 
President Hu Jintao's "Harmonious Society" concept and the 
desire for peace and harmony in China.  In an aside, he remarked 
he visited Lhasa in 2006 and "didn't notice any instability." 
The Rinpoche also added he thinks it is important for there to 
be good relations between the Dalai Lama and the Chinese 
Government.  He stated that he "hopes the Dalai Lama will 
understand the development and changes within 'inland' China." 
 
Kirti Monastery in Aba County 
--------------------------------------------- ------- 
 
¶12.  (C) Aba County officials welcomed us and said we were the 
first diplomatic delegation to visit since the county "opened" 
to foreigners in 2004.  (Note:  Aba county is particularly 
sensitive politically because it is the birthplace of many 
important reincarnate lamas who now reside overseas.  Tsegyam 
Ngaba, the current envoy of the Dalai Lama to Taiwan was born, 
educated and imprisoned in Aba County before he fled to India. 
In June 2005, Tsegyam Ngaba was a member of the Tibetan 
delegation at the fourth round of talks with Chinese 
counterparts at the Embassy of the People's Republic of China in 
Berne, Switzerland.  End Note). 
 
¶13.  (SBU) Kirti Monastery "Acting" Abbot Jigme Rinpoche, a 
reincarnate lama, introduced the current situation at the 
monastery that was founded in 1472 by a disciple of Tsong Khapa, 
the founder of the Gelug School of Tibetan Buddhism.  He noted 
the present Abbot, the 11th Kirti Rinpoche, currently resides in 
India. (Note: In April 1990, Kirti Rinpoche built Kirti 
Monastery in Dharamsala, India.  India's Kirti has 201 monks, 
most of whom are originally from Kirti Monastery in Aba County. 
End Note). 
 
¶14.  (C) According to Jigme Rinpoche, Kirti currently has around 
1,200 monks, forty percent of whom are between 60-70 years old 
and covered by the county social security system.  When queried, 
he said Kirti has no monks under 18 and no unregistered monks. 
(Note: In a side conversation while touring the temples, another 
monk privately whispered to Congenoff there are actually 1,000 
unregistered monks under the age of 18 in Kirti.  End Note.) 
According to the Abbot, Kirti has 200 geshe degree holders who 
studied for approximately six years before obtaining their 
degrees. 
 
¶15. (SBU) The Democratic Management Committee (DMC) in Kirti has 
13 members who are in charge of fire safety, financial affairs, 
security and tourism, Jigme Rinpoche stated.  He said the 
monastery earns income from tourism as well as hotels, 
restaurants and shops it runs in the county town.  The Rinpoche 
explained that the monastery conducts large Buddhist 
activities/festivals three times per year.  Families of monks 
are permitted to come to the monastery to visit, and young monks 
can also go home for one month each in summer and winter.  When 
they are in the monastery, monks are kept busy with study, 
reading of scriptures and debate. 
 
¶16.  (C) In answer to CG's question about the 2003 closing of 
the Kirti Monastic School, the Abbot and head of the DMC 
responded that the closing was part of the prefecture's "Ten 
Year Action Plan" to promote compulsory education and the 
"normalization process."  They noted Kirti's school was 
"redundant" anyway because the county already had three other 
primary schools.  (Note:  In a side conversation with Congenoff 
while departing the meeting and several steps ahead of the 
government officials, a monk said they were "not allowed to tell 
the truth about the closing of the Kirti Monastic School," and 
that all of their answers had been provided by government 
officials.  End Note.) 
 
¶17.  (C) Jigme Rinpoche stated that the February 2006 
skin-burning incident raised by the CG took place outside of the 
monastery and no monks had participated.  The incident actually 
occurred place during one of the monastery's month-long Buddhist 
festivals and monastery officials asked the participants to 
leave so as not to disrupt the religious activities.  (Note: 
Consulate obtained during 2006 a video that was mailed by a monk 
from Gansu, containing clips of over a dozen skin burning 
activities in Tibetan areas in the spring of 2006.  There is a 
 
CHENGDU 00000137  004.2 OF 005 
 
 
clip of Kirti Monastery that shows several hundred people and 
dozens of monks participating in the burning.  Several of the 
monks recited prayers before the bonfire was lit.  End Note). 
 
¶18.  (C) CG asked whether any of Kirti's monks originally came 
from outside the prefecture or if Kirti monks are allowed to 
participate in exchanges with other monasteries.  Hesitating, 
the Abbot said, "yes, but not right now."  He added that monks 
from Qinghai, Gansu, Ganzi Prefecture in Sichuan and Hongyuan 
County in Aba Prefecture come to Kirti to study in the summer. 
When Congenoff asked whether the Abbot had students of his own 
in inland China, he quickly said "no."  Jigme Rinpoche answered 
CG's question on challenges for monks posed by modernization, by 
saying there were none, but added that as a part of routine 
monastic discipline, monks have been fined for gambling. 
(Note:  In a private side conversation with the CG, Donke 
Rinpoche (strictly protect), the Vice Director of the Kirti DMC, 
emphasized that the situation in Kirti was "not as good as was 
described in the meeting."  End Note). 
 
Karmang Monastery in Hongyuan County 
------------------------------------ 
 
¶19.  (SBU) Abbot Tenbe Gyaltsen, a reincarnate lama also known 
as Khomtsang Rinpoche of Karmang Monastery in Hongyuan County 
said the monastery had ninety-six monks and three reincarnate 
lamas.  In response to a question, he stated that all Karmang's 
monks are over 18 years old and the monastery has no 
unregistered monks.  He claimed there is no limit on the number 
of monks able to register in the monastery.  Karmang is a branch 
of Labrang Monastery in Gansu Province.  Most monks carry out 
meditation on the sacred tantra full time and do not need to 
work to support the monastery. 
 
¶20.  (C) The CG commented on his earlier discussion with 
prefecture level officials on the 2003 case of six monks from 
Karmang arrested for attending a prayer ceremony for the long 
life of the Dalai Lama, and specifically asked which monks are 
still in jail.  Khomstsang Rinpoche, after some assistance from 
other members of the DMC, stated that Zoeba, Dargye, and 
Tsogphel are still serving prison terms.  He added that Oeser, 
 
SIPDIS 
one of the monks who had been released, is sick and has not 
returned to the monastery.  It was unclear from his answer 
whether Zoeba, Dargye and Tsogphel were permitted to return to 
the monastery, although DMC members claimed they are technically 
allowed to return. 
 
¶21. (C) Khomstsang Rinpoche answered a question from CG, saying 
that the monastic population has not been affected by 
modernization or economic development in the region.  When 
Congenoff asked about the schedule for patriotic or political 
education classes, the Rinpoche responded that all Chinese 
citizens must attend such classes, not just monks.  With regard 
to the demographics of the monk population in Karmang and 
whether monks are permitted to have exchanges with other 
monasteries, the Rinpoche began to say there were few exchanges, 
but was interrupted by the official from the county RAB who said 
there are indeed exchanges and that there is a round table on 
religion every year. 
 
¶22.  (C) Congenoff asked if the monastery participated in 
charitable work or community work on environmental protection. 
The Rinpoche said "not much," but the county RAB official again 
interrupted and noted the Rinpoche sponsors a medical clinic and 
supports 30 poor students with scholarships.  The Rinpopche 
claimed he had no students in inland China, but said he spends 
large amounts of time outside of the monastery in the county 
town and in his hometown.  (Note:  In a half-hour conversation, 
county and prefecture RAB officials tried to qualify almost 
every answer the Rinpoche gave.  End Note). 
 
Game Monastery in Songpan County 
-------------------------------- 
 
¶23.  (SBU) Game Monastery in Songpan County is a Bon monastery, 
a school of Tibetan Buddhism whose origins predate the Gelug 
School.  Abbot Namnang, the DMC Director said Game was 
established 600 years ago, and now has 41 permanent monks.  In 
response to a question from CG about the large numbers of 
tourists who visit the monastery, the Abbot stressed that 
tourism has not had a negative impact on religious study because 
tourists only visit the big temples and monks can study in the 
quieter parts where tourists are not permitted.  Congenoff asked 
the Abbot whether Bon monks view the Dalai Lama in a similar way 
to monks from the Gelug School.  Abbot Namnang diplomatically 
stated that Bon monks do not denounce the Dalai Lama and do not 
disrespect him.  He added, "we have our own spiritual leader 
here, but we believe in all knowledgeable people." 
 
Zharu Monastery in Songpan County 
 
CHENGDU 00000137  005.2 OF 005 
 
 
---------------------------------- 
 
¶24.  (U) Zharu Monastery (Tibetan:  Rabwan) is another Bon 
monastery in Songpan County, led by Abbot Rinchen, a reincarnate 
lama.  The Abbot is also the Deputy Director of the Sichuan 
Province Buddhist Association.  The monastery, established in 
1573 and reopened in 1982, is inside the Jiu Zhai Gou National 
Protected Area.  Abbot Rinchen explained that the monastery has 
50 monks, but that only 10 permanently reside there at any one 
time.  The others travel throughout the county to people's homes 
to give blessings and teachings. 
 
¶25.  (SBU) Rinchen Rinpoche said the monastery holds three big 
religious festivals each year.  The monastery has recently 
receiving approval for a large-scale remodeling project.  When 
queried, the Rinpoche said the majority of the money for the 
maintenance of the monastery is raised by the temple itself, 
with approximately one third each from tourists (only 1,000 per 
year), believers, and the local government. 
 
¶26.  (C) The meeting room where we were hosted had a large 
picture of the tenth Panchen Lama as well as several much 
smaller framed photos of the 2005 visit of the Beijing Panchen 
Lama, Gyaltsen Norbu.  When asked about Bon's relationship to 
the Gelug School, Rinchen Rinpoche responded that Bon is "very 
similar" to the Gelug School of Tibetan Buddhism.  (Note: 
Earlier in the conversation, the Rinpoche noted he studied in 
Lhasa from 1998-2001.  End Note). 
 
Comment 
------- 
 
¶27. (C) Official meetings in Tibetan areas are frequently highly 
scripted and filled with numerous government officials whose 
goal is to ensure that religious figures adhere to the "party 
line" about freedom in their monasteries.  While all candor is 
chilled in these official settings, monks often take advantage 
of temple tours and other movements to discretely express their 
true feelings to us.  In their brief, but brave comments, we 
sensed their gratitude that the United States is raising human 
rights cases and asking hard questions of government officials. 
BOUGHNER