Chinese Authorities Confiscate Monks’ Phones Amid Crackdown on News Sharing of Tibetan School Closures
Chinese authorities in Sichuan Province have reportedly begun seizing the phones of Tibetan Buddhist monks, suspecting them of sharing information on the recent shutdowns of monastic schools, according to sources familiar with the situation. The closures, which impacted schools associated with Lhamo Kirti Monastery in Dzoge County and Kirti Monastery in Ngaba County, have disrupted the education of hundreds of young monks.
The schools, which taught Tibetan language, general subjects, and Buddhism, were ordered closed under claims that students were too young for monastic studies. Nearly 600 students from Lhamo Kirti Monastery’s school alone have been impacted, with their families directed to enroll them in state-run residential schools where the curriculum is delivered in Mandarin.
Since October 1, officials have intensified their scrutiny of monastic communities, conducting checks on monks’ phones and confiscating those allegedly used to communicate information about the closures beyond the region, the sources revealed. “The authorities claim that sharing news about the school closures with the outside world is a serious violation,” one source stated. Meetings have also been held regularly with monastery staff to enforce adherence to government regulations on religious practices and to prevent any activities deemed “separatist.”
The heightened restrictions follow government orders issued in July 2024, requiring the schools to close and the students to shift to state-run institutions that emphasize “patriotic education.” This shift is seen by Tibetan advocates as a broader effort to limit Tibetan cultural expression and promote loyalty to the Chinese state. The government’s rules on religious education mandate that monastic students be at least 18 years old and demonstrate patriotism.
The Lhamo Kirti Monastery school, established in 1986, provided education for young novice monks and children from local nomadic communities. Despite past closures and government interference, the school continued to operate until this year’s renewed push for state control over education in Tibetan regions. Now, parents are required to sign documents promising not to send their children to religious institutions and to follow the state’s educational mandate.
The new restrictions and communication bans reflect intensifying government control over Tibetan monastic communities, leaving many monks and their families concerned about preserving Tibetan cultural and religious heritage in the face of these state-mandated changes.
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