Freedom of religion and belief

17/05/2023 Arbitrary Detention / Freedom of religion and belief / Involuntary Disappearance / News / TCHRD Statements / Top Story

28 years since the enforced disappearance of Tibet’s Panchen Lama by the Chinese government

On the 28th anniversary of the Chinese government’s arbitrary detention and subsequent enforced disappearance of the 11th Panchen Lama Jetsun Tenzin Gedhun Yeshi Trinley Phuntsok Pal Sangpo, widely recognised by his lay name Gedhun Choekyi Nyima, the Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy (TCHRD) reiterates its call to the Chinese government to immediately and unconditionally release the Panchen Lama, his family members, and all the Tibetan political prisoners. TCHRD emphasises that without ensuring the Tibetan people’s fundamental human rights, including freedom of belief and religion, Chinese authorities can never hope to win the hearts and minds of Tibetans, let alone earn any legitimacy for its repressive policies and campaigns in Tibet.

07/02/2023 Freedom of Opinion and Expression / Freedom of religion and belief / News / religious-repression

China bans display of Buddhist flags at Tibetan New Year show, detains and fines organiser

Information received by TCHRD confirmed that Gephel, a Tibetan student from Muge Township in Zungchu (Ch: Songpan) County, Ngaba (Ch: Aba) Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture, Sichuan Province, in the Tibetan province of Amdo, was detained on the evening of 24 January from his home for displaying Buddhist flags instead of Chinese flag as the backdrop on the stage during ‘Losar’ New Year celebration show.

10/11/2022 abitrary-detention / Freedom of religion and belief / News / religious-repression

Prosecuting Tibetan Buddhists for making offerings to spiritual teachers is a violation of freedom of religion and belief

Information received by TCHRD confirms the detention of four known Tibetans, among them an elderly woman, for merely engaging in the Tibetan Buddhist practice of making financial offerings to Tibetan spiritual teachers or Lamas (‘The Superior One’ or ‘The Venerable One’).