Dharamshala (Himachal Pradesh) [India]: China has deployed approximately 400 military personnel to the Larung Gar Buddhist Academy in Serthar County, eastern Tibet, escalating security measures in the region, according to the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA). The troops arrived on December 20, 2024, accompanied by helicopter surveillance, marking heightened efforts by the Chinese government to assert control over the world’s largest Tibetan Buddhist study center.
Founded in 1980, Larung Gar has been a sanctuary for Buddhist monks and nuns to pursue spiritual education. However, it has increasingly come under the scrutiny of the Chinese government, which views the academy as a stronghold of Tibetan identity and autonomy.
The CTA reported that Larung Gar has faced severe restrictions in the past, including the demolition of thousands of monastic dwellings and the forced eviction of practitioners during crackdowns between 2016 and 2017. These actions reduced the academy’s population from approximately 10,000 to a significantly smaller number.
Recent reports indicate that China plans to introduce additional regulations at Larung Gar. These include limiting the residency duration of monks and nuns to a maximum of 15 years and requiring all practitioners to register with authorities. The total number of residents is expected to be further reduced, and Chinese students have reportedly been instructed to leave, signaling an effort to diminish the academy’s influence.
The new measures are part of China’s broader strategy to curtail religious freedoms in Tibet, targeting Tibetan Buddhist institutions in particular. The Larung Gar Academy, once a symbol of Tibetan Buddhist scholarship, now faces increased surveillance and restrictions, underscoring a larger campaign to erode Tibetan cultural and spiritual autonomy.
“The increasing military presence and stringent regulations at Larung Gar reflect China’s ongoing efforts to control Tibetan Buddhism and restrict religious freedoms in Tibet,” the CTA said. These actions are seen as part of a systematic effort to consolidate state control over the region’s spiritual institutions while suppressing Tibetan identity and autonomy.