Recent reports from Tibet detail the drastic changes which have taken place in Dayab Ma-gon Monastery, situated in the Dayab county of Chamdo region, under Chinese occupation. Most recently this has taken the form of “Patriotic Re-education” activities, part of China’s implementation of their “Strike Hard” campaign in Tibet. This had the drastic effect of pushing one monk to take his own life rather than accept these policies which are anathema to Tibetans’ religious and political beliefs.
During the Seventies there were just 15 monks in Dayab Ma-gon Monastery. In 1995 the figure had risen to 100 monks, and in 1996 to 200 monks. At present there are approximately 1000 monks in the monastery. This figure includes non-residential monks of whom there are about 800.
In earlier times there were 32 different units or houses in the monastery but during the Cultural Revolution all of the structures were completely destroyed. Today the monastery stands with only one general prayer hall. The 800 non-residential monks thus stay in their own homes, engaging themselves in day-to-day livelihood. In recent years the monastery has undertaken some renovation by building one more storey and installing 5 mud-made Buddha icons, the cost of which was borne by local Tibetans.
Once a year the monks in Dayab Ma-Gon are given an opportunity to congregate for a special Monlam prayer, which runs from the 9th day to the 15th day in the first month of the Tibetan calendar. To take part in the Monlam prayer however, a monk must first obtain a guarantee letter from a senior monk of the monastery with the pledge that he will not take part in any political activities. In the event that a monk breaks this pledge he will face execution or imprisonment.
Dayab Ma-gon Monastery now depends solely on donations and contributions from the local Tibetan community for its survival. Previously the monastery owned agricultural land and houses which had been donated by the aged or bequeathed to the monastery, but these assets have since been confiscated by the Chinese authorities.
When a Dayab Ma-Gon monk makes a pilgrimage visit to Lhasa he is subjected to a series of interrogation sessions on his return. Questions asked of the monks include: “For what purpose did you go to Lhasa?”; “What have you seen in Lhasa?” and “What did you do while in Lhasa?”.
In May 1996 the confiscation of photographs of the Dalai Lama and the political and ideological re-education campaign were launched simultaneously in Dayab Ma-gon Monastery. In August 1996, five unnamed monks were arrested for refusing to agree to the five basic principles of the “re-education” which require denunciation of: the Dalai Lama; the Tibetan chosen Panchen Lama and Tibetan independence. The five monks are reported to be currently imprisoned in Dayab County Prison.
During one of the searches in the monastery for photographs of the Dalai Lama, a monk named Phurbu, born in Dayab, was ordered to hand over his photographs. For five days of repeated demands and severe beatings by Public Security Bureau (PSB) officials Phurbu refused. Unable to endure more, Phurbu finally agreed and led the PSB officials to his house. Along the way they passed a small bridge where Phurbu stopped and was reported to have said, “I sacrifice my life rather than opposing His Holiness the Dalai Lama and there is no longer meaning to the wearing of religious robes”. The monk then jumped from the bridge, and a few hours later his dead body was seen floating in the water by some monks. The monks were threatened with dire consequences if anyone spoke of Phurbu’s death.
The PSB officials gave a completely different version of the circumstances leading to Phurbu’s death. They stated that he had died from certain diseases and that nobody was linked to his death. At other times it was officialy reported that Phurbu had fallen from a horse and died of injuries.