World Tibet Network News Wednesday, March 11, 1998
by Rena Miller
BEIJING, March 11 (AFP) - China will press ahead with its "patriotic education" campaign in Tibet, in which monks, nuns, and schoolchildren are fed denunciations of the Dalai Lama, a top official of the region said Wednesday.
"It is totally necessary to launch patriotic education among citizens and in monasteries. In schools, it is designed for the purpose of maintaining the unity of the motherland," said Raidi (eds: one name), chairman of Tibet's regional government.
"Therefore I can say that patriotic education in the monasteries and schools will go on in the future," he said at a press conference on the sidelines of the annual National People's Congress meeting.
Raidi said before the campaign for "re-educating" monks and nuns began in 1996, temples they resided in were "chaotic".
"Some of them were engaged in actitivites aimed at splitting the motherland," he insisted.
In the future, anyone using religion as a basis for pro-independence activities -- or "splitting the motherland" -- will be punished, he indicated.
"If anyone should use religion to engage in activities aimed at splitting the
motherland, this will no longer be allowed."
Beijing tightened its political control of the mountainous region in 1995 following an upsurge of popular support for the exiled Dalai Lama and his choice for the reincarnation of the Panchen Lama, who is Tibet's second highest spiritual figure.
The comments came after the Dalai Lama issued a message on Tuesday to mark the 39th anniversary of a failed uprising in Lhasa in 1959 accusing China of "cultural genocide".
"It has become apparent that Beijing is carrying out what amounts to a deliberate policy of cultural genocide in Tibet," the Dalai Lama said in the statement received in New Delhi.
"The infamous 'strike hard' campaign against Tibetan religion and nationalism
has intensified with each passing year.
"In some spheres of life in Tibet we are witnessing the return of an atmosphere of intimidation, coercion and fear, reminiscent of the days of the Cultural Revolution (1966-1976)," the Tibetan spiritual leader, revered by his followers as a god-king, said.
Beijing started its "patriotic education" campaign in 1996 in Tibet's monasteries and then in the schools in an effort to wipe out the influence of
the Dalai Lama.
Departing from previous diatribes, Raidi only briefly denounced the Dalai Lama who now lives in exile in India and made no reference to his accusations.
"It is precisely the Dalai group who would not like to see the people in Tibet to live a happy life. They do not want to see a happy and beautiful new Tibet," he said.
The Chinese government's "patriotic education" campaign, which faced stiff resistance in many monasteries, forced monks and nuns to listen to long treatises, often daily, denouncing the Dalai Lama and praising Chinese authorities.
Monks were forced to swear allegiance to the Chinese government, and sign statements renouncing loyalty to the Dalai Lama, or face expulsion from the temples.
Resentment of this policy led to violence at Ganden monastery outside Lhasa in the summer of 1996. The monastery was closed to the outside world for several months, according to monks living in neighboring monasteries at the time.
"The government of Tibet has put in place a strict management of monks and nuns," Raidi said, noting police had been sent on a number of occasions.
"Now, the situation in those monasteries is stable, and normal religious activities there are going on as usual."
Raidi praised Tibet's rapid economic growth, citing a gross domestic product growth of 10 percent last year. Pillar industries of mining, forestry, handicrafts and tourism have been identified for future promotion, he said.
Chinese troops took control of Tibet in 1951, and the Dalai Lama fled to India after the 1959 abortive uprising against Beijing.
