Ask Questions on Tibetan Protests

There have been some Buddhist monks involved in the violence and rioting. The number appears to be small. Most of the violence was the work of lay people.

The anger among monks, however, is considerable and may account for, if not fully explain, the presence of some amidst the rioters. Through the Communist Party's "patriotic education" campaign in monasteries, monks have been forced to denounce the Dalai Lama, who is the highest incarnation within the modern Buddhist hierarchy. Rules have been put in place by the Communist Party governing the designation of "living Buddhas," selection of whom monks believe to be the prerogative of the Buddhist clergy.

In 1994, the Chinese Government used its own method to select a new Panchen Lama, the second most important figure in Tibetan Buddhism, contrary to the choice of the Dalai Lama. Monasteries have suffered constraints on their size and activity under the control of the PRC. As a consequence, many monks see the PRC as hostile to their religion. Many of these monks are quite young, and they share the antagonism to Chinese rule that is widespread among young Tibetans.

The recent round of protests began with a non-violent march by a group of monks from Drepung monastery into Lhasa on March 10. The protests in Lhasa turned violent on March 14, after a group of monks from Ramoche monastery were accosted by Chinese security forces. Although detailed information has been limited due to the ban on foreign journalists, it appears that the protests that have involved monks and nuns have begun as peaceful marches or sit-ins, which have become violent when Tibetan laypeople have tried to prevent the beating and arrest of monks and nuns.

Buddhist monks and nuns are held in high esteem in Tibetan culture, and laypeople have in some cases responded violently to their mistreatment (with that violence generally taking the form of rock throwing). Monks and nuns do not appear to have been involved in the burning of Chinese shops in Lhasa. An excellent article on the role of monks and nuns in the recent unrest has been written by Professor Jose Cabezon of UC-Santa Barbara and can be found at Web site Religion Dispatches.