China continues harassment of Tibetan Buddhists: Clinton
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China continues harassment of Tibetan Buddhists and such infringements on religious freedom "strain" bonds that back democratic societies, US secretary of state Hillary Clinton has said.
"We received reports from China of government harassment of Tibetan Buddhists, house-church Christians and Uighur Muslims," Clinton said in her opening remarks during the release of the annual state department report on religious freedom.
"And several European countries have placed harsh restrictions on religious expression. These infringements on religious freedom strain the bonds that sustain democratic societies," she said.
In China one continues to see restrictions on the Uighur population in Shenzhen, on the Tibetan Buddhist community, and other restrictions on religious freedom, including on the unauthorised house churches, Christian churches, assistant secretary of State for democracy, human rights and labour, Michael Posner, said.
Eight countries including China have been designated as countries of particular concern, Posner said. those eight countries are Burma, China, Eritrea, Iran, North Korea, Saudi Arabia, Sudan and Uzbekistan, he said.
According to the annual state department report, in the last one year, the level of religious repression in the Tibet autonomous region (TAR) and other Tibetan areas remained high, especially around major religious holidays and sensitive anniversaries.
"The government remained wary of Tibetan Buddhism and the central role traditionally played by the Dalai Lama and other prominent Tibetan Buddhist leaders.
"The heads of the major schools of Tibetan Buddhism--including the Karmapa, Sakya Trizin, Kyabje Trulshik Rinpoche, and Gyalwa Menri Trizin--all reside in exile and maintain close ties with the Dalai Lama. Chinese authorities often associated Tibetan Buddhist monasteries with pro-independence activism," the report said.
Government control over religious practice and the day-to-day management of monasteries and other religious institutions continued to be extraordinarily tight since the spring 2008 outbreak of widespread protests and unrest in Tibetan regions, it said.
Monks and nuns reported that government restrictions continued to interfere with their ability to carry out the teaching and practice of Tibetan Buddhist religious traditions, the report said.
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