Dharamshala: - In a press release by the Karmapa's Office of Administration, His Holiness, the 17th Karmapa Ogyen Trinley Dorje, who is the head of the Karma Kagyu School of Tibetan Buddhism called for a peaceful resolution to the Kirti Monastery of Eastern Tibet standoff.
In a special prayer meeting on May 4th that was organized by twelve different organizations based in Dharamshala, he said he would join His Holiness the Dalai Lama and His Eminence Kyabche Kirti Rinpoche in their appeal to the Central Chinese Government and the international community to peacefully resolve the current crisis of Kirti Monastery in Ngaba region of eastern Tibet.
The Kirti monastery, which is located in the Ngaba region of eastern Tibet (Ch: Western China), has been tense following the self-immolation attempt and death of Ven Phuntsok, a 20-year-old monk from the monastery in mid-March. This act of protest was aimed to against the Chinese central government in Beijing and also to mark, the third anniversary of the Uprising in 2008. In the latest reports two monks were sentenced to jail for participating in the peaceful protests. Chinese security forces and police have continued to blockade the monastery.
Media reports state that the ongoing military siege of Kirti Monastery has resulted in the arrest of over 300 monks including religiour leaders and writers, and the death of two elderly local residents due to police beatings. This has in effect raised fears that if the authorities did not abandon use of force, the situation may deteriorate into large scale violence that would the lives of lives of hundreds of unarmed and innocent Tibetans.
In an earlier press meet in New Delhi on May 2nd, the 17th Karmapa said that, "frequent peaceful protests carried out by the Tibetans are symptoms of a broken and wounded people desperately crying out for the restoration of their cultural identity, religious and human rights." He also thanked the Indian Government of India for giving him refuge since his arrival from Tibet in January 2000.
"I am not a Chinese spy, agent or plant in India. Tibet is under Communist China's totalitarian regime and, unlike democratic India; there is no religious freedom there. Many Tibetans, including the illustrious heads of the different sects of Tibetan Buddhism had to flee to India following the Cultural Revolution. India is my home now and I would never do anything against the interest of the country or her people," This statement comes after allegations of financial impropriety were placed againt the spiritual leader in early 2011.
Welcoming the clean chit given to Karmapa Ogyen Trinley by the Centre Indian government in foreign currency case, a representation of 18 Buddhist organizations of Sikkim, in February this year jointly welcomed the Centre's action, according some media reports.
