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China Detains Monks for Brainwashing

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Posted on May 23, 2011
Flickr / Gustavo Thomas

Shadows fall near a Tibetan monk dressed in ceremonial garb for a Tibetan Lunar New Year celebration in February 2009.

While China celebrates the 60-year mark of its “peaceful liberation” of Tibet, about 300 monks have been rounded up in a “patriotic re-education” campaign, which authorities hope will encourage them to renounce their devotion to the Dalai Lama, swear allegiance to China’s ruling Communist Party and stop lighting themselves on fire. —ARK

Guardian:

The spike in tension in Aba stems from the self-immolation of Phuntsog, a 21-year-old monk, on 16 March, in apparent protest against government controls.

Instead of putting out the flames, Chinese police beat the young monk, creating huge resentment within the monastery, according to exiled Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama.

The Aba government said in late April that after the burning incident, it had decided to give monks “legal education”, owing to the “illegal activities” committed by some monks that included visiting prostitutes, getting drunk, gambling and pornography, state news agency Xinhua news agency reported.

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By berniem, May 23, 2011 at 4:23 pm Link to this comment

State capitalism and fascism doesn’t sound appealing either!

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By DavidByron, May 23, 2011 at 3:10 pm Link to this comment

The usual imperialist backing of so-called “free” Tibet—meaning CIA-backed Tibet.  The CIA, that great liberal institution of course can be trusted to never lie about anything.

Tibet was conquered by China when China was also ruled by foreigners - the Mongols.  That was about eight hundred years ago.  It’s hard to see how a claim that old against an empire that no longer exists can be taken seriously.

And why the scare quotes around “peaceful liberation”?  It was peaceful and it sure as hell was a liberation considering how screwed up the religious feudal fascist state run by the Dalai Lama was.  Just about the nastiest place on earth before the Chinese army put an end to his and US involvement there.

It’s lucky that China has the US to lecture it on “invasions” because of course the US would never do anything like that would it?

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By paul, May 23, 2011 at 3:10 pm Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)

Tibetans Monks drinking, gambling, watching pornography and visiting prostitutes - looks like good candidates to join C.C.P.

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By Jim Yell, May 23, 2011 at 11:35 am Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)

China has no business in Tibet and as long as they occupy Tibet they can not be seriously considered in their conceit that Taiwan is part of China. The grab and occupation of Tibet is every bit as wrong as the colonizations once conducted by Europe. The Chinese have no moral ground to stand on, they are just using the exuse that Hitler used when he invaded Poland and Eastern Europe.

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By vajayjoy, May 23, 2011 at 10:28 am Link to this comment
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i feel really bad for a person born of the earth who can’t follow their own moral compass. china is in a sick place right now. from the outside looking in, this mix of communism and state capitalism remind me of the matrix.

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