Red Guards of Tibetan Buddhism

Resolutions by the Tibetan Youth Congress

This article shows how (at least certain elements of) the Tibetan Youth Congress (TYC) have taken it upon themselves to be the mouthpiece of the Dalai Lama and the TGIE and to pursue a witch hunt against Shugden practitioners. Here are a few examples:

Tibetan Youth Congress Enforces Dalai Lama's Ban on Dorje Shugden
Human Rights Violations of Dorje Shugden Practitioners
Background, history, analysis and stories about the Dalai Lama and Dorje Shugden

It is worth noting that the Dalai Lama's younger sister Jetsun Pema was one of the founders of the Tibetan Youth Congress (TYC). His youngest brother, Ngari Rinpoche, was the second president of the TYC. Ngari Rinpoche's wife Rinchen Khando Choegyal served as the president of Tibetan Women's Association (which has also harassed Shugden practitioners).

(1) Agenda of Meeting of the TYC

The local and central TYC will perform pujas for the Dalai Lama. When the Dalai Lama pays a visit to a local group, the local TYC must take care of the Dalai Lama's well-being and be very cautious of the followers of Dholgyal (Shugden).

Without any shame, the followers of Dholgyal are accomplishing the wishes of the Chinese government by directly protesting against His Holiness the Dalai Lama and so on. What a challenge for the Tibetan Youth Congress to carry!

Resolution

On the basis of our firm stance and resolution in 1996, over thirty thousand members of the TYC will take an oath and give their signature, to be witnessed by the Three Jewels, never to share religious and material resources with the followers of Dholgyal. Under the decree of the Tibetan Youth Congress, the local TYC must take oaths and give their signatures on the above matter.

Recently Dholgyal followers, the so-called Dorje Shugden Devotees Religious and Charitable Society, have brought legal action against the Dalai Lama and the Kalon Tripa, leveling baseless accusations against them. The TYC will single-pointedly protest against this. Our general body will send a letter that will reject and protest [the writ petition by Dorje Shugden Society].

With the stamp of TYC and signature of TYC president Tsewang Rigzin
July 5, 2008

(2) Letter to the Dorje Shugden Society of Delhi

To the executive members of Dorje Shugden Society of Delhi:

Recently, the 39th General Meeting of the governing body of the Tibetan Youth Congress was held in Kulu Manali, Himachal Pradesh, from July 1 to 5 of 2008. Ninety-two members from 45 local enclaves of India, Nepal, Bhutan, Taiwan and so on took part in this meeting. We have thoroughly discussed the principally related political agendas.

In the 2nd resolution of Agenda no 5, the governing body has resolved to send a letter to the effect that the Tibetan Youth Congress reject and single pointedly protest Dholgyal followers -- so called Dorje Shugden Devotees Charitable and Religious Society -- for taking His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Kalon Tripa Samdhong Rinpoche to the court on the baseless allegations.

During the time our brothers in Tibet, sacrificing one's life, engage in tremendous campaign of saving Tibet and protest against China, to our sadness, you have reversed the black and white, and accomplished the necessities of the Chinese government by protesting and criticizing when the Dalai Lama travels to the foreign country. Not only that but we, the head and locals of the Tibetan Youth Congress, do not accept that you have sued them with the baseless allegations, regardless of the kindness of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Kalon Tripa and Himachal government. Furthermore, this governing body will show the clear expression of our single-pointed protest.

In future we will remind you not to mistake friend and enemy, and to know the manner of maintaining Buddhadharma and living beings, as well as to know the purpose and benefit of the instructions given to the Tibetan public by His Holiness the Dalai Lama.

39th General Meeting of the Governing Body of the Tibetan Youth Congress
July 5, 2008
Tserwang Rizin, Chairman
Seal and Signature
CC: Indian Government, Himachal Government, Private Office of the Dalai Lama, Department of Security of Tibetan government in exile.

(Letter sent on September 18, 2008)

The patriotic fervor, blind devotion to their leader, and elements of their behavior (threatening letters, wanted posters, arson, violence) ironically and sadly is reminiscent of the Red Guards of China. It is worth pointing out that these particular members of the Tibetan Youth Congress (and Women's Association) are not behaving like Buddhists in their political activities of repressing Shugden practitioners -- they are behaving like thugs.

Tibetan Youth Congress Enforces Dalai Lama's Ban on Dorje Shugden

"The Monasteries Have Been Cleaned!"
Report from an Eyewitness
Date: Early September 2008

A monk aged around 30 came from a Gelug monastery in Manali to Tibetan Children's Village's (TCV) vocational training center for Tibetans, Patikuhl in Kulu Manali.

He had been invited by the local Manali Tibetan Youth Congress (TYC) to persuade students to give their signatures and oaths rejecting the practice of Dorje Shugden.

[The TYC is an NGO that functions as the covert mouthpiece and enforcer of the government and the Dalai Lama.]

The monk gave a speech to the gathering of students and teachers:

"Drepung, Sera and Ganden monasteries have been cleaned. Our monastery is cleaned too. There is not the slightest doubt about it. … You should not worship the demon Shugden."

The monk brought a thangka painting depicting a Protector stamping on Dorje Shugden, who was lying down. He showed it to the students and teachers, saying:

"The reason why Shugden is being stamped on is because he is a demon. It is not because the painter drew whatever he liked.

Many people no longer worship this Deity. However, some organizations and people of Chating province dislike the Dalai Lama and so they do still worship Shugden. Therefore, you should cut all ties with the people from Chating province."

Everybody must follow the words of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, who is telling us not to worship this Deity. . .

I was invited here by the Manali Tibetan Youth Congress, who requested me to explain to you how bad the worship of Shugden is. Along with giving us your signatures, you must all swear in front of Palden Lhamo and the Three Jewels that you will not worship the Deity."

The staff and teachers first gave their oaths and signatures that they would not worship Shugden. Then the students were called in to give their signatures and oaths. Many students didn't know anything about it, but they were told:

"The Dalai Lama said that Shugden is a demon and you should not worship him; so you must come up here to sign your name and swear not to worship him."

Students then stood in line to sign their names and declare their oaths.

The monk and members of the Manali TYC left in the afternoon, saying that they had a signature and oath campaign to go to somewhere else.

Manali TYC also told the owners of shops and restaurants to come to the monastery to give their signatures and oaths not to worship Shugden nor maintain spiritual or material ties with Shugden followers.

A restaurant's owner spoke to the witness:

"If you worship Shugden you will have success and happiness in this life, but when you die you will go directly to hell!"

At around 5pm, the Manali TYC members came back to TCV and asked those who had not already signed and made their oaths to do so.

A Spanish journalist came to the Dorje Shugden Society to interview its members about the Shugden Issue. He was in Manali when the incident happened. He reported that the Manali TYC had forced the public to come to the monastery for their signatures and oaths, telling them that they needed to close their shops and restaurants and that, if any of them did not come, the public would be asked to boycott their businesses.

The journalist was shocked at hearing this.

"Tibetans are saying that they are proceeding on the path of democracy; but they are using coercive force.

I did not know much about Dorje Shugden. When I heard about the ban on Shugden, it made me want to find out more."

The journalist asked people in Manali who had organized this campaign what was the benefit of banning this Deity? He did not get an answer, and he said they sounded hostile towards him. He said he had discovered that Tibetan religion and politics are completely mixed.

Human rights violations of Dorje Shugden practitioners

In her well researched book of the late 1990s, Exiled from Exile, Dr Ursula Bernis explains how the ban of Dorje Shugden and resulting persecution came about. An extract:

"In the summer of 1996, the Tibetan government in exile was accused of human rights violations by many Tibetans and some of their Western supporters. Since then most critics have been pressured into silence. Although two prominent human rights organizations expressed their concerns privately to the exile government, they refused to do so publicly for several reasons including that it could be seen as undermining the efforts of the Dalai Lama and the much larger and more serious issue of improving human rights in Tibet under Chinese control. I have seen one of the letters shown to me on condition I not disclose it and its source."

Here is one of many examples of the human rights violations Dr Bernis is talking about. For more first-hand interviews of people conducted at that time -- chronicling abuses that continue right through to the present day -- see Detailed reports of discrimination from inside India and elsewhere.

Extracts from An Interview with Jamphel Yeshe

"For all my life in exile, I have had the welfare of Tibetans and the idea of freedom constantly on my mind. As is well known in the Tibetan community, I worked towards that end in many different ways. All of this is destroyed now by the defamation campaign against me and my family. Because of death threats, I cannot go anywhere alone. I have to live in constant fear of losing my life, my family, my community, my access to religion, my livelihood, -- in short, everything that is dear to me and makes my life worth living....

Q: How has the ban affected you personally?
A: Since the ban we have endless inner turmoil, day and night. My situation is not exceptional. Each and every Tibetan Buddhist who is not able to relinquish faith in his or her Guru is in the same situation. Since the ban was imposed by the Tibetan exile government, families have broken down in every Tibetan community. Children broke relations with their parents and teachers and students have stopped speaking with each other.

These things happened because the Tibetan exile government started a signature campaign against our faith. We were asked to sign a list swearing that we will give up our reliance on the Dharmapala (Dorje Shugden) for this and all future lives. These lists were passed around very publically so everyone could see who signed and who not. When the government stopped the Women's Association and Youth Congress continued to push people to sign. Through the public nature of this campaign we have been completely marginalized. As the president of the Dorje Shugden Society, it was my duty to inform all Tibetans about the situation.

If a Tibetan speaks out, the automatic reaction now is to find out whether or not he relies on Dorje Shugden. If he does, then as a Tibetan I should not have any contact with him, according to the Tibetan exile government. Because of the atmosphere of distrust created this way, I have lost many of my former friends and business contacts. They all know I rely on Dorje Shugden. It has become a trend within the Tibetan exile community for people to declare openly that they want to go after me and finish me. Threats are also made openly against my colleagues in the Society and we experience this prevailing atmosphere of fear and distrust as a great burden.

I am a family man, I have three children. My oldest son is twelve years old, the second son nine years, and my daughter is six years old. The two older children were in school at the Tibetan Children's Village (TCV) in Dharamsala. I and my family received many explicit death threats. I found out through reliable sources -- I can't tell you who -- that an ex-military man and a member of the Tibetan parliament from Rajpur was discussing my two sons and their whereabouts in school in Dharamsala and my involvement with the Dorje Shugden Society with other Tibetans from a military background. Many Tibetans have joined the Indian army as part of the Indo-Tibetan Border Police after the CIA supported Khampa resistance ceased to be active. They have their own units, their own uniforms with their symbols but do not wear them publically.

He said they were well trained and that he and his colleagues would do whatever was necessary and whatever the Tibetan exile government wanted them to do against the Dorje Shugden people. For Tibetans who firmly believe that the Dalai Lama's life is threatened by those who rely on Dorje Shugden, these sentiments, and the willingness to act on them, are completely credible. So I took my children out of the school in Dharamsala and sent them to a safe place in another country. The perception was that anyone who wanted to attack us was free to do so.

The threat letters I received included statements like, "We will not spare your wife and children." One such letter says (in translation):

"To Tashi Dolma [Jamphel Yeshe's wife], from D.P. Gyatso. According to what I heard, your president husband, Chatreng Yeshe, has engaged in many plans regarding the Dalai Lama. Moreover, it is also said that you are going on a film shooting about the Dalai Lama, [Seven Years in Tibet] This being the case you are not permitted to participate in this filming. If you go, I will not spare you easily. We are youths of Darjeeling Voluntary Youth. If you don't believe it, you can come to Darjeeling anytime. Do you understand, slut. Secretary of Youth Group, Darjeeling, Kalimpong. P.S. Some of us are now in Delhi. You have to inform Chatreng Yeshi."

My wife and I received many threatening phone calls, and even our six year old daughter. When asked for a name, the answer was only "I am a man." Once, when they called, the child answered the telephone, as she often did, and the person on the other end told her, "There are fifteen of us here in Delhi and we will kill you and we will kill your father. We will destroy you." My daughter was very upset. She went to close all the doors and told me to stay inside. Early in the morning she would come to my bed and touch me. When I moved, she shouted, overjoyed, "Daddy is still alive."