Summary of Human Rights Violations Instigated by the Dalai Lama

Discrimination between human beings on grounds of religion or belief constitutes an affront to human dignity and a disavowal of the principles of the Charter of the United Nations, and shall be condemned as a violation of the human rights and fundamental freedoms proclaimed in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Article 3, Declaration On The Elimination Of All Forms Of Intolerance And Of Discrimination Based On Religion Or Belief, United Nations Resolution 36/55 (1981)

A Summary of Human Rights Abuses Instigated by the Dalai Lama

Since 1996, at the instigation of the 14th Dalai Lama, the Tibetan Government in Exile has pursued a policy of persecution against Shugden Buddhists with the aim of removing them entirely from the Tibetan Community.

  • Within the monastic community, Shugden monks and nuns have been subjected to forced conversions - ordered to sign oaths to abandon their faith in Shugden - or be expelled from their monasteries and thus rendered homeless and destitute.
  • Repeated incitements to hatred have led to numerous acts of violence towards Shugden Buddhists. Flare ups in violent attacks against Shugden practitioners usually occur in the wake of speeches by the Dalai Lama to the Tibetan community.
  • Government officials and associated NGO officers have compelled exile Tibetans to pledge their allegiance to the Dalai Lama and the Exile Government by signing oaths to ‘not associate spiritually or materially’ with Shugden Buddhists or anyone who does associate with them, thus completely ostracising them from their own community.
  • This ostracism has lead to Shugden Buddhists being denied service in shops, restaurants and even denied medical attention in blatant disregard of their right of equal access to public service.
  • Changes to the Tibetan Constitution have taken away their right to hold public office and to take part in their government.

All of these human rights abuses can be shown to stem directly from the 14th Dalai Lama. He, and he alone, is in a position to rectify this crisis within the Tibetan exile community.