Dharamshala (Himachal Pradesh) [India] April 29 (ANI): Authorities in Tibet’s Drago County have faced criticism after reports said a site that once held a towering Buddha statue was converted into a horse racing track and new buildings rose over the demolished Geden Buddhist School, Tibet Times reported.
Tibet Times said the actions are part of a campaign that began in late 2021, when local officials allegedly demolished a 99-foot Maitreya Buddha statue and dozens of Mani prayer wheels near Gaden Rabten Namgyal Ling Monastery. At the time, strict surveillance and movement restrictions limited available details.
The statue was reportedly moved into a monastery assembly hall, while its former site was turned into a large racing circuit. Constructed in 2015 with local government approval and funded by community donations, the Buddha had been spiritually significant to residents.
In October, authorities are said to have ordered the abrupt closure of the Geden Buddhist School, giving administrators three days to comply. After demolition, two sizeable buildings appeared on the site; their purpose remains unclear. Reports also state a 46-foot statue of Guru Rinpoche at a nearby monastery was destroyed under official orders.
More than a dozen people, including monks, were reportedly detained for allegedly sharing information externally. Many were said to have been sent to a political re-education facility, with no confirmed updates on their condition. Some detained monks were reportedly pressured into signing statements accepting blame for the destruction of religious artefacts.
Observers likened the measures to earlier campaigns reminiscent of the Cultural Revolution, according to Tibet Times.
The controversy has renewed scrutiny of local leaders after former county party secretary Wang Dongsheng died under unclear circumstances in 2024. He had overseen large-scale demolitions at Larung Gar Buddhist Academy, where thousands of monastic dwellings were dismantled and residents expelled, Tibet Times reported. (ANI)
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