China sacks Tibetan county chief for resisting crackdown on Buddhist practices: Report

Dharamshala (Himachal Pradesh) [India] August 4 (ANI): A senior Tibetan official in eastern Tibet has reportedly been removed from his leadership positions after refusing to immediately enforce Beijing's intensified restrictions on Tibetan religious practices, according to Phayul, citing a report by Tibet Times.
According to Phayul, as cited by Tibet Times report, Druk Bum Gyal, who served as both the Communist Party Secretary and county chief of Drakkar County in Tsolho (Hainan) Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, opposed the immediate rollout of a series of directives targeting Tibetan religious traditions. Chinese authorities had reportedly instructed officials across five counties, Serchen, Trika, Drakkar, Mangra, and Ba, to prohibit the public observance of Nyungne, a traditional Buddhist fasting retreat, while tightening controls on religious activities.
The reported measures also included the removal of prayer flags and prayer banners and the compulsory display of the Chinese national flag outside every household. However, Druk Bum Gyal is said to have cautioned that enforcing the policies abruptly could trigger public unrest, recommending a gradual approach instead, Phayul reported, as cited by Tibet Times report.
His reported reluctance to carry out the directives allegedly led senior authorities to strip him of his leadership roles and reassign him to a lower-ranking position. Despite the demotion, local Tibetans have reportedly expressed appreciation for his stance, viewing it as an effort to shield their religious traditions from immediate state intervention.
The report further claims that the restrictions intensified after Han Chinese official Xiong Yuanlai assumed office as Communist Party Secretary of Tsolho Prefecture in April. Since then, authorities have allegedly expanded a campaign involving the destruction of mani stones inscribed with Buddhist prayers, the burning of prayer flags and banners, mandatory display of Chinese national flags at homes, and the removal of Tibetan government employees because there were allegedly too many Tibetans serving in official positions.
According to Phayul, as cited by the Tibet Times report, these measures have placed growing psychological and social pressure on Tibetan communities. The report also links the developments to Chinese President Xi Jinping's governance model, under which officials and citizens perceived as ideologically disloyal have reportedly faced investigations, disciplinary action, detention, or prosecution under various political and anti-corruption campaigns.
Born in 1973 in Mangra County, Druk Bum Gyal graduated from Qinghai University before beginning a decades-long administrative career. He held several senior county-level positions before becoming Communist Party Secretary and county chief of Drakkar County, posts he reportedly held until his recent removal. (ANI)