November 20, 2014

• A harsh new ‘rectification’ drive in the Driru region of Tibet states that monasteries deemed ‘illegal’ will be torn down and Tibetans who possess images of the Dalai Lama or place traditional prayer (mani) stones will be severely punished.
• Following the imposition of new regulations, translated by ICT into English below, at least 26 Tibetan Buddhist nuns were expelled from a nunnery in Driru (Chinese: Biru) last week in a police raid (November 15) after the nunnery failed to denounce the Dalai Lama.
• The new Driru measures indicate a trend towards severe penalties imposed not only on individuals but on entire communities in an attempt to compel Tibetans to fall in line with government policies.
• The Communist Party authorities in the Tibet Autonomous Region have given stern warnings of ‘punishment’ for Tibetans “who have fantasies about the 14th Dalai Clique”, effectively acknowledging their failure to eradicate loyalty to the religious leader in exile, even among Party members. The threats, which followed a ‘disciplinary’ official work team delegation there, demonstrate how Chinese leader Xi Jinping’s anti-corruption campaign is being politicized in Tibet as part of an increasingly aggressive drive against the Dalai Lama.