By — Shyamal Sinha
Situated in Garze Prefecture in Sichuan Province, Larung Gar Buddhist Academy is the largest Tibetan Buddhist institute in the world with more than 20 thousand monks and nuns. Thousands of red wood houses built on the hill, spectacularly converged like a red river for several miles.
Larung Gar Buddhist academy, the largest Tibetan Buddhist institute located in Serthar (Ch. Seda) County, in the so called Kardze Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, in Tibet’s traditional province of Kham, has come under intensified military surveillance and repression by Chinese authorities.
Reports indicate that approximately 400 military personnel from Drakgo (Ch. Luhuo) and neighboring counties in Kardze (Ch. Ganzi) were deployed to Larung Gar on December 20. Helicopter patrols have been introduced, signalling heightened state control over this prominent religious site.
The exile Tibetan government run tibet.net reported that China plans to impose further restrictions at Larung Gar beginning in 2025. These regulations include a residency cap of 15 years for all monks and nuns at the academy. Authorities also intend to reduce the institution’s population through mandatory registration, compelling Chinese students to leave the academy. These measures appear part of a targeted strategy to diminish the religious community’s size and influence.
“The latest measures represent an escalation in China’s broader campaign to restrict religious freedom in Tibet, where traditional Buddhist institutions have faced increasing pressure under state policies aimed at controlling religious practice and education,” stated CTA’s report.
Founded in 1980 by the late Khenpo Jigme Phuntsok, Larung Gar has served as a cornerstone for Tibetan Buddhist scholarship, drawing thousands of monks and nuns seeking spiritual education. However, this latest military deployment and helicopter surveillance marks a new phase in a series of crackdowns. The Chinese government’s actions began with large-scale demolitions and forced evictions in July 2016, which lasted until May 2017. During this period, the academy’s population was halved from approximately 10,000 residents, and thousands of homes were destroyed, displacing over 4,500 Tibetans who were subsequently relocated under strict surveillance.
The international community has strongly criticised China’s actions at Larung Gar. In October 2016, the co-chairs of the United States’ Human Rights Commission wrote to the Chinese Ambassador to the United States, expressing “deep concern” over the demolitions and urging Beijing to cease these activities, rebuild the destroyed infrastructure, and allow individuals to practice Buddhism without state interference.
Similarly, the European Parliament passed a resolution in December 2016 condemning the forced removals and demolitions at Larung Gar. The resolution called on China to respect Tibetans’ religious freedoms and halt its oppressive measures.
