Buddhist monk scholar tells UK parliamentarians – “Situation in Tibet getting worse by the day, lack of religious freedom…”

London | 15 November 2023 | By Tsering Passang, GATPM

Gyuto monks’ “therapeutic” chanting brought peace and calm to UK lawmakers

A group of six Tibetan Buddhist monks from Gyuto Monastery in Dharamsala, northern India, appeared before a meeting of The All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Tibet in Portcullis House, Westminster on Tuesday, 14th November. They arrived in London a few days earlier on Sunday after their tour in France and Switzerland.

Tim Loughton MP, Co-Chair of the APPG Tibet, welcomed the specially invited guests, in addition to his parliamentary colleagues and members of the Group. Chris Law MP, Co-Chair of the APPG Tibet and other members from both the Houses, including Lord David Alton and Wera Webhouse MP attended the meeting.

Mr Loughton, a long time champion of Tibet’s peaceful freedom struggle and human rights issues worldwide, was very delighted to welcome the visiting Gyuto monks to the APPG Tibet meeting. An auspicious prayer at the start of the meeting was chanted by the visiting monks, helping to create a calming and meditative atmosphere, which enabled a sense of relaxation and focus, providing a break from the stresses of daily life. The use of chanting in Tibetan Buddhist practices is often considered not just a religious or spiritual activity but also one with potential therapeutic benefits, including promoting a sense of peace and well-being. Chanting, often accompanied by specific breathing techniques and mindfulness practices, have calming effects on the mind and body.

After their short and evocative Buddhist chanting, which is very unique to Gyuto tradition, Mr Loughton said that not many parliamentary meetings start with such “therapeutic” prayers. He then invited Venerable Geshe Ngakrampa Thupten Sherab, a senior Buddhist monk scholar and head of the group, to speak.

Translated by Mr Tenzin Kunga, Advocacy Officer at Free Tibet, Secretariat of the APPG Tibet, Geshe Ngakrampa Thupten Sherab said:

“The situation in Tibet is getting worse by the day.

It is characterised by a lack of religious freedom, a lack of freedom of expression and restrictions on the freedom of assembly. For example, being in possession of a photograph of the Dalai Lama is a punishable offence. You could even be detained and tortured.

Under Xi Jinping, the oppression has become more intense. China is following policies which appear innocent, but which are in fact, intended to eliminate Tibetan identity. I speak from experience.

One of the things which causes me particular pain is the separation of children from their families. They are forced to attend boarding schools run by the state, where they are brought up as loyal followers of the Communist Party of China.

I would like to comment on the fate of the Panchen Lama (one of the most important figures in Tibetan Buddhism, second only to the Dalai Lama himself.)

The Chinese government is trying to gain authority over the reincarnation of the Panchen Lama. (Leadership of our religion following the passing of the Dalai Lama) is certainly something which will be politicised by the Chinese or authorities. Why is an atheist government trying to claim authority over a religious matter? The Chinese Communist Party leaders claim that religion is poison. I have witnessed with my own eyes an event where they threw the written scriptures of our religion onto a bonfire and tried to erase every word.”

HE Sonam Frasi, Representative of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, based at The Office of Tibet, London also briefed the meeting on Tibetan affairs.

The meeting was attended by various groups representing Hongkongers, Uyghurs, Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China (IPAC), think tanks researchers, NGOs, supporters and students. 

In the UK parliament, there are over 700 APPGs. All-Party Parliamentary Groups are informal cross-party groups that have no official status within Parliament. They are run by and for Members of the Commons and Lords, though many choose to involve individuals and organisations from outside Parliament in their administration and activities.

Lord Alton tweeted:

Tibetan monks came today to ⁦@UKParliament⁩ APPG on Tibet cochaired by ⁦@timloughton⁩ & ⁦@ChrisLawSNP⁩. The monks described intensified persecution of Tibetan Buddhists by the CCP. Even having a photograph of the Dalai Lama is a crime. ⁦@UK_FoRBEnvoy⁩

In a social media post, Kate Saunders, a Tibet researcher and analyst, who attended the meeting, wrote: “One of the monks spoke about witnessing religious scriptures being burnt at his monastery during the Cultural Revolution before he escaped to India. ‘They took a week to burn them all, and they took all our school textbooks too, it was something I will never forget.”

The visiting Gyuto monks have planned spiritual engagements with the Lelung Dharma Trust and Buddhist Community Centre (UK) in Aldershot.

Before their visit to the Parliament, the six Gyuto monks prayed for World Peace at the Tibetan Peace Garden, located next to the Imperial War Museum.

The Gyuto monks’ visit to the Tibetan Peace Garden and the UK Parliament was coordinated by Tsering Passang, Founder and Chair of Global Alliance for Tibet & Persecuted Minorities, in liaison with the Lelung Dharma Trust and the APPG Tibet Secretariat respectively. The Gyuto monks’ UK tour is funded by Tenzin Dakpa, proprietor of the Kailash Momo Restaurant.