Reported by Tibettimes
Translated By TenGyal
Edited by Kelsang Jinpa
The Chinese government is enforcing a ban on displaying portraits of His Eminence Kirti Rinpoche in assembly halls, official temples, and during public gatherings at the many branch monasteries affiliated with Kirti Monastery in Tibet.
According to verified information from a reliable local source, on July 13, 2025, Chinese authorities issued strict directives ordering a ban on the display of portraits of His Eminence Kirti Rinpoche in Kirti Monastery and all its affiliated monasteries in the so-called “Ngawa (Aba) Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture.” That same day, portraits of Kirti Rinpoche were forcibly removed from Taktsang Lhamo Kirti Monastery in Zoege (Zoige/Ruo’ergai) County, Gyalrong Tso Dhun Kirti Monastery in Barkham (Markang or Muerkvua) County, and other major branch monasteries of Kirti Monastery.
Authorities have also issued threats in these areas, warning that any display of Rinpoche’s portraits from the date of the directive onward would be deemed a “political offence.” The prohibition is a coordinated initiative of the Sichuan Provincial Government, the Ngawa (Aba) Prefecture government, and local county authorities.
Although the Hortsang Kirti Monastery is traditionally one of the four principal branch monastic centres of the main Kirti Monastery, the Chinese government’s revised administrative divisions place it under the jurisdiction of Sangchu (Xiahe) County in Gansu (Kansu) Province. Portraits of His Eminence Kirti Rinpoche have already been banned in the area for several months, with strict restrictions extending to both individual households and monastic quarters.
Similarly, the “General Buddhist Education Management Committee of the Kirti Monastery and its Associate Centres”—a body established to oversee academic programs and procedures in the four traditional branch centres of Kirti Monastery—was shut down around July. The committee, composed of representatives from all four centres renowned for their Buddhist philosophy programs, was accused by Chinese authorities of maintaining ties with His Eminence Kirti Rinpoche.
In another incident, Geshe Lharampa Konchok Choedak, a scriptural teacher and the acting head of Hortsang Kirti Monastery, was abducted under the cover of night by Sangchu County police in December 2024. His residence was searched, and numerous items—including documents linked to the Education Management Committee—were confiscated. His current whereabouts and condition remain unknown.
Geshe Konchok, originally from DhoChok in Dzoge County, was the son of Aloe and Machik Kyi, both of whom passed away many years ago. He entered Taktsang Lhamo Kirti Monastery as a child, took his Geshe Lharampa vows in 2019, and became the acting head of Hortsang Kirti Monastery in 2021. Traditionally, the heads of Hortsang Kirti Monastery have been appointed from Taktsang Lhamo Kirti Monastery.
