India, Dec. 5 -- A few months ago, a board was placed outside a monastery in Tibet; it stated that Government officials and communist cadres were not allowed to enter the premises of the gompa as the Chinese State was atheistic. One can understand that the Communist Party of China (CPC), which religiously follows the precepts of its founding fathers, is not in favour of any spiritual practices. More recently, the CPC issued a notice banning retired Tibetan Government employees from taking part in any religious activities.

According to Human Rights Watch, the notice required "all Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR) Government and retired Government employees - regardless of whether those retirees are party members - to submit a list by August 1...