Chinese officials recently lifted the ban on Tibetans’ right to possess and worship the Dali Lama’s photos in the eastern city of Trola, Luhu County of Ganzi Town, in Tibet, according to Voice of Tibet. The 180- degree policy change left many Tibetans suspicious of the regime’s ulterior motives.

According to Puba, a monk from Drepung Monastery, the Chinese communist authorities entered Trola and claimed that the regime has never banned Tibetans from having images of the Dalai Lama and that Tibetans should their enjoy freedom of belief. Puba said that in the past, local Tibetans encountered many misfortunes for secretly hanging up the Dalai Lama’s image.

“The official stated that since Dalai Lama is leader of Buddhism, Tibetan followers can worship Dalai Lama’s image from now on. Later, the official gave Tibetans a large image of the Dalai Lama,” said Puba.

Local Tibetans suspect the policy change is a political trap. Despite the policy change, currently no Tibetans dare to hang and worship Dalai Lama’s image.

Since the Lhasa protest in 1987, Chinese authorities banned Tibetans from hanging and worshipping images of the Dalai Lama and adopted it as a policy to control Tibet. Tibetan who were found who possess the Dalai Lama’s image were summoned to court, detained or sentenced. Even four months ago, public security staff searched every family in Donghu, Ganzi town of Kang region in Tibet. They collected 18 bags of all Dalai’s images and burned them in front of Tibetans.

Read the origina article in Chinese.