The China State Bureau of Religious Affairs recently released the Tibetan Buddhist Temple Administration Regulations. The regulations are set to take effect on November 1. Tibetan Buddhism has widespread support across Tibet, Sichuan, Yunnan, Gansu, Qinghai, and Inner Mongolia. According to the head of the State Bureau of Religious Affairs, some temples are “blind" when they determine development goals, and some temple officials are not patriotic.
He claimed that some temples are straying further and further away from the Party and that the Dalai Lama is “using” them. He believes these unwanted activities are having a major negative impact on the “normal religious order.” The regulations detailed the conditions for criminal and civil liabilities, and the restrictions on large scale religious activities.
Source: Xinhua, October 9, 2010
http://news.xinhuanet.com/2010-10/09/c_12641421.htm
China News Service, October 8, 2010
http://www.chinanews.com.cn/gn/2010/10-08/2572913.shtml