Chinese Authorities Destroy Jokhang Temple; Tibet Scholars Appeal to Halt the Destruction of Old Lhasa

CNN reports:

Ignoring both religious freedom and the outcry of the Tibetan people, the Chinese authorities have begun demolishing the ancient capital of Lhasa, including one of the most important Buddhist sites of the city, Tibet’s holiest Jokhang Temple.

Chinese authorities are planning to destroy the ancient Buddhist capital of Lhasa, and replace it with a tourist city similar to Lijiang. “Shangri-La” in Yunnan Province. Several large-scale construction projects are underway for a number of shopping malls around the Buddhist holy temple as well as underground parking at Barkhor Street.

In response, a group of nearly 150 scholars of Tibetan Studies have all signed a petition to PRC President Xi Jinping and Mme. Irina Bukova, Director-General of UNESCO, decrying the destruction of Old Lhasa. You can read their letter here.