Dozens of Tibetan student monks in Qinghai Province have been expelled from their monasteries, according to Tibet Watch sources

On 21/22 October 2021, 30 teenage monks from Jakyung Monastery, and a further 50 from Deetsa Monastery, in Bayan County (Cn: Hualong), Qinghai Province were expelled by state officials. Security officers entered the monasteries and forcibly removed the students, before returning them to their respective homes.

Tibet Watch sources – under the condition of anonymity for their personal safety – reported that, upon return to their family homes, security officers informed students that they could no longer wear monks robes, nor could they attend school. Such a directive limits young Tibetan Buddhists’ access to their cultural heritage, as monasteries serve as an essential resource for Tibetan language and cultural learning.