US castigates China as a ‘very’ troubling Country on Religious Freedom

May 31, 2018:

China described 26 religious activities, including some practices of Islam, Christianity, and Tibetan Buddhism, as illegal without government authorization.

A top American diplomat on Wednesday said that observing Tibetan Buddhists continue to be in a very difficult situation,  China remains a “very troubling” country on religious freedom.

Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom Sam Brownback told reporters during a news conference here ,“Situation for Tibetan Buddhists that continues to be a very difficult situation for them … for Christians, for Falun Gong practitioners. China remains a very, very troubling country on religious freedom”.

As per the annual State Department report on International Religious Freedom, even as Chinese authorities are blocking information about the number of incidents of self-immolations of Tibetan Buddhists, including Buddhist monks, Chinese media reported on six self-immolations while in one instance in the Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR) a man committed suicide by slitting his throat.

The US Report said,“Tibetan Buddhists in the country, including outside the TAR, are not free to venerate the Dalai Lama openly and any display of the Dalai Lama’s photo by businesses or individuals and treat those seen as loyal to him as a separatist threat”.

Last year, in February as per the report, authorities in Xinjiang defined 26 religious activities, including some practices of Islam, Christianity, and Tibetan Buddhism, as illegal without any government authorization.

These Chinese regulations, enforced from April 1, stipulate that no classes, scripture study groups, or religious studies courses may be offered by any group or institution without prior government approval.

Today no religious group is permitted to carry out any religious activities, including preaching, missionary work, ordaining clergy and proselytizing without government approval.

The US Congressional-mandated report also said that without authorization there is ban on editing, translation, publication, printing, reproduction, production, distribution, sale, and dissemination of religious publications and audiovisual products.

Source IE