Tibetan pilgrims detained after ceremony

Religious followers at the gathering

Available at: http://tiny.cc/y929cw

April 7, 2012

The New York Times recently posted an article “China said to detain returning Tibetan pilgrims” which covered the story  of a group of Tibetan pilgrims returning from the Buddhist ceremony Kalachakra, are being detained without charge. This incident is said to be the first largest group to be detained from one of these ceremonies.

It is said that most of the detained are forced to stay on military grounds, schools, or hotels. Some are even forced to pay for lodging and food. Most of the detained are elderly and have a risk of getting sick. To add to it, the detained have been there for at least over two months.

Along with their detainment, the detainees are regularly being interrogated about various things such as the Dalai Lama, the current but exiled prime minister, the former prime minister, and other various officials.

The Chinese officials didn’t stop at interrogation, they are trying to re-educate the detained. By this they are re-educating them into what the Chinese what them to know. It is even stated that they are forcing them to denounce the Dalai Lama.

This tension between Tibet and China has been going on for years. As another article in The New York Times posted “The detentions are expected to stoke resentment among Tibetans toward the Chinese government at a time when tensions across the Tibetan plateau are at the highest in years” . The constant rivalry between Tibet and China causes great effects on both countries and their people. In the article, Edward Wong states:

“It is unclear why Chinese officials allowed large numbers of Tibetan pilgrims to go abroad around the time of the Kalachakra, only to detain them upon their return. The crackdown appears to be part of the growing conflict in Tibetan areas, which in the last year have been the site of the most intense and sustained protests since the 2008 uprising” logically what the Chinese officials had done was a basically a trick to get the monks and religious followers in and keep them there.

This incident adds more to the flame of the fight between Tibet and China. This ever-growing fight causes riots and even suicides. Lately, it has been reported that thirty-two has set themselves on fire in defiance to Chinese rule. It’s ridiculous.


My opinion about this incident is furious. Why let them in, but don't let them leave? They came for a religious purpose, there's no need to detain and interrogate them. The Dalai Lama wouldn't detain the Chinese would he? I don't think he would. There's no reason to.


Readers, what's your opinion? I want to hear it.