The International Campaign for Tibet’s statement on the Shugden demonstration in Washington D.C.

February 5, 2015;

FEBRUARY 4, 2015

The International Campaign for Tibet deplores the planned demonstration in Washington D.C. by some fundamentalist Buddhists belonging to the International Shugden Community that aims at undermining the work of His Holiness the Dalai Lama.

The demonstrators are attempting to confuse the general public by using terms like religious freedom, human rights, etc. to define their issue. The issue is complex and people need a deeper understanding. The Dalai Lama’s website (www.dalailama.com), as also that of the Central Tibetan Administration (www.tibet.net), and the Tibet Houses (www.dalailamaprotesters.info/) cover the historical development of this controversy.

While we leave it to the learned scholars of Buddhism to comment on the validity of the issues raised by the demonstrators, the way group has been denigrating the Dalai Lama is an affront to the Tibetan people and is causing great damage to the broader Tibetan issue. The people of Tibet continue to suffer under a ruthless and brutal Chinese regime. On account of this, they are even sacrificing their lives calling for the return of His Holiness the Dalai Lama and freedom for Tibet.

If the Shugden demonstrators are genuinely concerned about religious intolerance and persecution of the Tibetan people, they will serve the cause better by working to alleviate the plight of the Tibetans in Tibet, rather than focusing on their parochial interest. To date, the Shugden demonstrators have not done anything about the internationally acknowledged Chinese Government’s denial of human rights and religious freedom to the Tibetan people.

The Chinese Government has been attempting to undermine the efforts of the Dalai Lama for a peaceful resolution to the Tibetan problem. The Shugden demonstrators are thus contributing to the fulfilment of the Chinese Communist Government’s agenda.

By their own admission, they are spending much energy and resources for the sole purpose of slandering His Holiness the Dalai Lama. Right now the time is for all those concerned with the survival of Tibetan religion and culture to look at the real cause for the suffering of the Tibetan people.