China destroys second Buddhist statue revered by Tibetans in Sichuan province , says report

China has destroyed the second Buddhist statue revered by Tibetans late last month in western China's Sichuan province as a part of the campaign by the Chinese dispensation to destroy religion and traditions of the ethnic minority, said a media report.

Commercial satellite imagery was used to verify the destruction of a three-storey statue of Maitreya Buddha at Gaden Namyal Ling monastery in Drago (in Chinese, Luhuo) county in the Kardze (Ganzi) Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, reported Radio Free Asia (RFA).

"Chinese authorities have again given unbelievable reasons for the destruction," RFA quoted a source as saying.

Chinese officials said that there was no fire escape in the temple housing the three-story high statue of Maitreya Buddha, but these are not valid reasons, the source said.

He continued to add that Beijing has been exercising such practices to Sinicise Tibet's religion by not allowing Tibetans the freedom to practise their own religion and faith.

With regard to the destruction of the statue, the source said that during the destruction, Drago county chief Wang Dongsheng was present there.

Wang was witnessing the brutality of the police at the destruction site as the police beat the local Tibetans over objecting to the demolition.

The destruction of a 99-foot Buddha statue in Drago in December was also directed by Wang.

The Chinese official had overseen the campaign of destruction of Sichuan's sprawling Larung Gar Buddhist Academy in a move that saw thousands of monks and nuns expelled and homes destroyed, reported RFA.