CASE OF DEPORTATION FROM RF OF BUDDHIST LAMA TO BE REVIEWED BY SUPREME COURT OF TUVA
The Kyzyl city court on Monday sent the appeal against the expulsion from Russia of the Buddhist lama Shivalkha Rinpoche for review in the Supreme Court of Tuva, Alla Mongush, a member of the council of the Buddhist religious organization Kunpenchetso (in Kyzyl), told RIA Novosti.
Previously the Buddhist organization, whose members include disciples and followers of Shivalkha Rinpoche, sent an open letter to news media in the name of Buddhists of Russia in which it reported that the directorate of the Russian FSB for the republic of Tuva had demanded of the religious leader, who was invited to the republic by former Tuva President Sherig-ool Oorzhak in 2008, that he leave the borders of Russia. The Buddhist lama's permit for residence was cancelled. Nothing was reported about the specific reasons for such a decision, and the Buddhists decided to challenge it in court. They also began collecting signatures in his defense.
"A judge of the Kyzyl city court decided to transfer the case to the Supreme Court of the republic of Tuva, claiming that it is not within her competence. The court session was finished quickly," Mongush said. She said that at the present time Lama Shivalkha Rinpoche is in Moscow and is applying for a visa to India, where he plans to fly on 16 October.
Shivalkha Rinpoche (whose secular name is Lobsang Gele) was born in 1967 in the east of Tibet and he has lived in Tuva since 2008. In 2012 Rinpoche was awarded an honorary diploma of the head of the republic for great contribution to the development of spirituality in Tuva.
RIA Novosti still does not possess commentaries by representatives of the judicial bodies and security structures. (tr. by PDS, posted 12 October 2015)
IN FULL SEVERITY OF KARMA LAWS
FSB expels Buddhist lama from Russia
by Alexander Chernykh, Pavel Korobov, Dmitry Malkov, Ekaterina Eremenko, Maria Karpenko
Kommersant, 12 October 2015
The Kyzyl city court today will review an appeal against the deportation of Buddhist Lama Shivalkha Rinpoche, who was invited to the republic by the first president of Tuva, Sherig-ool Oorzhak. The Tuva directorate of the FSB demanded the expulsion of the famous religious leader, who had been preaching in Russia for more than 11 years. Security services did not explain their decision either to believers or to the lama himself. Experts point out that expansion of the positions of Tibetan Buddhism in the Russian federation could evoke displeasure both in China and also in the leadership of the Buddhist traditional sangha of Russia, but the situation is in any case interference by the security services in the affairs of believers.
Elena Lokhnina, a representative of the Moscow Center for the Organization of the Teachings of the Very Reverend Shivalkha Rinpoche, told Kommersant that notification of the expulsion was received by the lama from the Tuva directorate of the FSB on 23 September. He and his aide, the monk Lobsang Tsering, were ordered to leave the borders of the RF within 15 days and never again to return to the country. The Tibetan leader's permit for residence in Russia was cancelled.
Buddhism is considered to be a traditional religion of Russia, along with Christianity, Islam, and Judaism. It is professed by the majority of residents of Buriatia, Kalmykia, and Tuva, and large Buddhist communities exist in Moscow, St. Petersburg, and other cities.
Shivalkha Rinpoche (secular name, Lobsang Gele) was born on 15 February 1967 in the east of Tibet. Since 2008 he has been living in Tuva, to which he was officially invited by the first president of Tuva, Sherig-ool Oorzhak, at an audience with Dalai Lama XIV. In February 2012 Shivalkha Rinpoche was awarded an honorary diploma of the head of the republic, Sholban Kara-ool, for his great contribution to the development of spirituality of Tuva. The lama also was awarded an honorary diploma of the Supreme Khural of the republic for his struggle against the spread of alcohol and drug dependency among residents of Tuva. Shivalkha Rinpoche is famous throughout the world as a Buddhist authority and thousands of Russian Buddhists consider him a spiritual teacher.
The documents given to Shivalkha Rinpoche do not explain the reason for the expulsion. The official letter "about the undesirability of residence," over the signature of the chief of the directorate of the RSB for the republic of Tuva, Oleg Bolomzhonov (Kommersant has the document in its possession), says that the decision is based on article 25.10 of the federal law "On procedure for exit and entry of RF." According to it, a person may be deported from the country if he creates "a threat to the defense capability or security of the state, to public order, or to the health of the population," and also "in order to protect the foundations of the constitutional structure, morality, and rights and legal interests of other persons."
The Tuva directorate of the FSB refused to comment for Kommersant as to just which of this list incriminates Shivalkha Rinpoche. The agency stated that all explanations were given at a special meeting of the chief of the directorate with the head of Tuva, Sholoban Kara-ool, and representatives of the public. The conference was held last week behind closed doors and the details of the conversation were not disclosed. It only is known that Sholban Kara-ool asked the FSB leadership "to consider the possibility of a different solution of the issue." "I understood only that the problem was not initiated by local authorities," the head of the public cultural foundation Enerel, Aneta Oorzhak, who attended the meeting, told Kommersant.
"The teacher is now in Moscow and he was given a transit visa in exchange for the cancelled permit for residence," Elena Lokhina told Kommersant. "He is arranging a visa to India in order to go there if the court nevertheless supports the FSB position."
The authorities' decision to deport Shivalkha Rinpoche from the country provoked resonance among Russian Buddhists. They began a collection of signatures under an appeal to President Vladimir Putin, which pointed out the great contribution of the lama to the revival and development of Buddhism in Tuva and Transbaikal. According to information of the Tuva organization Kunpenchetso, more than 4,000 signatures of believers from all of Russia, including Crimea, have been gathered in support of the petition.
However, the official leadership of Russian Buddhists does not intend to act in Shivalkha Rinpoche's favor. The press secretary of the Buddhist Traditional Sangkha of Russia, Boris Baldanov, told Kommersant: "Shivalkha Rinpoche has nothing to do with our organization. He is by himself." The administration of the head of Tuva Buddhists is not commenting on the decision about the deportation of Shivalkha Rinpoche, citing the absence of a kambo-lama in the republic.
"We now are trying to sort out this issue with the clergy of Tuva. If we conclude that this was a repressive measure, then we will speak out in support of the lama," the abbot of the St. Petersburg Buddhist datsan, Gunzechoinei Buda Badmaev, told Kommersant. He did not allow the idea of political causes: "In soviet times the KGB was repressive, but now the organs do not do anything without reason. Perhaps the lama said something carelessly and perhaps he violated migration legislation."
Political scientist Maria Mincheva sees a "Chinese link" in the deportation, pointing out that in the Chinese People's Republic the Dalai Lama XIV is considered an ideologue of Tibetan separatists. "Recently Russia has been actively expanding its partnership with China, which has frequently expressed its displeasure with the activity of representatives of the Dalai Lama in our country. It is possible that the decision on deportation was made as a part of ensuring this cooperation," Ms. Mincheva notes. A representative of the Dalai Lama in Russia, Telo Tulku Rinpoche, told Kommersant that news about the deportation of Shivalkha Rinpoche "shocked the residents of Tuva," and he expressed his certainty that the clergyman had not violated Russian laws.
Roman Lunkin, president of the Guild of Experts on Religion and Law, thinks that the deportation of the Tibetan lama could be evoked by religious disagreements with the Russian Buddhist leadership. "The security services may have been concerned about the expansion of the influence of independent Tibetan Buddhism," the expert says. "Moreover the Dalai Lama recently appointed as his representative the head of Buddhists of Kalmykia, whereas the head of Buddhists of Buriatia is considered to be the leader of traditional Buddhists in Russia. And although all Buddhists as a whole are tolerant of one another, the activism of Tibetan teachers may not be liked in Buriatia." The expert also pointed out that "in this situation, the security services are openly interfering in the religious affairs of citizens." (tr. by PDS, posted 12 October 2015)
Russian original posted on site of Interfax-Religiia, 12 October 2015
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