The Congregation of St. John monastery in Princeville is an eerily quiet place early on a Thursday morning. Silence is simply a way of life for those who live at the Catholic monastery. They believe that a contemplative lifestyle of prayer and rigorous study will bring them the closest to God. read more

They teach morality, tolerance and love. But a small group of Buddhist monks say that is not what they have found in the city's leaders. The monks have filed a federal lawsuit claiming Virginia Beach is violating their Constitutional right to religious freedom. read more

Free Tibet Campaign yesterday reported the beating of 50 Tibetan monks by Chinese armed police at Kirti monastery on 24 September. The monk who was initially beaten on the evening of 24 September has been named as Jimpa Ladja... read more

Whether they were arrested in March or simply disappeared thereafter, relatives and friends of the Monks are in the dark as to their whereabouts or even if they are still alive. An appeal is made to foreign governments, international agencies and the United Nations not to forget them. read more

It was dubbed the Saffron Revolution. Last September thousands of monks marched down the streets of Rangoon to call for democratic change. They pledged to "wipe the military dictatorship from the land of Burma", and as the days went by increasing numbers of civilians joined their cause. read more

The US state dept's annual report on religious freedom said religious repression in Tibetan areas has increased over the past year and the Chinese government has increased restrictions on religious freedom, including selecting and training lamas, travel of monks and nuns and limits on monastery construction. read more