PRESS RELEASE / FORMAL STATEMENT | September 6, 2026 | P5-EVT-2026-0904-12
The Free China Movement (FCM) is concerned by satellite- and source-based reporting indicating renewed demolition and clearance of residential structures at Larung Gar Buddhist Academy in Serthar County, Sichuan, during 2026.
Radio Free Asia and the International Campaign for Tibet have reported continued demolition based on satellite imagery, visual evidence and Tibetan sources. FCM has not located a current public demolition order, land-use decision or planning authorization that independently establishes the reported scope, the number of affected residents or the government’s stated rationale. Public local records reviewed to date include infrastructure, hazard-control and administrative projects in and around Larung Gar, but those records do not themselves establish the reported residential-clearance program.
FCM therefore calls on the responsible authorities to publish the governing legal and planning documents, maps of affected areas, data on residents and structures affected, notice procedures, compensation arrangements, relocation terms and available appeal or review mechanisms.
Larung Gar is an internationally significant center of Tibetan Buddhist learning. Any demolition or relocation affecting a major religious community should be governed by transparent law, meaningful notice, proportionate measures, fair compensation and an effective avenue of review.
FCM does not present the reported demolition scope or governmental motive as independently established facts where primary administrative records remain unavailable. That evidentiary gap is itself a reason for greater official transparency.
FCM calls for protection of peaceful religious practice, Tibetan cultural and educational life, property and residence rights, and independent access to reliable information about developments at Larung Gar.
Related: News + Editorial · Rapid Response
Free China 