An article that stated "it is wrong to consider Lamaism a
pacifying religion" has drawn a lot of attention since it appeared
on the website of the China Tibet Information Center.
The article, quoting an item published in the German newspaper
Die Welt on July 30, said the history of Tibet was not
filled with peace.
It quoted the authors of the article, Victor Trimondi and
Victoria Trimondi, as saying that Lamaism follows a strict
hierarchical system that requires students to obey their master,
contending that this system prevents people from developing their
own personalities.
It highlighted the authors' point of view that international
society has not been made aware of the violent and dark side of
Lamaism because the 14th Dalai Lama and his followers have been
hiding and whitewashing the facts.
Moreover, so-called "humanistic values" did not exist in the
history of Old Tibet under the rule of the Dalai Lama.
Before the middle of the 20th century, Lamaist rule had
integrated the church and state and enforced penalties and slavery
not very different from the inquisition conducted by the Roman
Catholic Church in the Middle Ages, the article quoted the two
German scholars as saying.
(China Daily August 29, 2007)
