E/CN.4/1991/56 page 74 I would like to reiterate that respect for and protection of the freedom of religious belief is the basic and consistent policy of the Chinese Government. Article 36 of the Constitution of the People's Republic of China stipulates that citizens enjoy freedom of religious belief and the State protects normal religious activities. The Constitution also stipulates that no one may make use of religion to sabotage the social order or to split the country. There are also explicit and concrete stipulations on this matter in the Law on Regional and National Autonomy and the Criminal Law of China. Thus it is clear that in China all normal religious activities are under the protection of the Government." 50. In a communication of 5 October 1990 addressed to the Government of China, the following information was transmitted by the Special Rapporteur: "The Special Rapporteur has received a large number of allegations pertaining to the situation of religious rights in Tibet. The information, as received by the Special Rapporteur, has been summarized as follows: Large numbers of monks and nuns have been expelled by the authorities, particularly in the spring of 1990, from monasteries and nunneries in the Lhasa area or are in detention without any specific charges having been brought against them. Those expelled were the best students - usually candidates for the geshe degree - and teachers who are senior and well-educated monks. In some cases, it is almost impossible to hold debating, scripture and philosophy classes in many monasteries for lack of qualified students. After the expulsions, hundreds of monks from Sera and Drepung monasteries staged walkouts in protest, closing down the monasteries and locking the temples. It is said that the authorities had compelled these monks to return to their monasteries by imposing a deadline and putting pressure on teachers and elder monks. It is considered unlikely that those who have been expelled will be replaced since they are handed over upon their expulsion to the district officials of the regions from which they come and are immediately taken to their home towns by vehicles waiting in front of the monastery. Once in their regions, the monks and nuns are relegated to performing agricultural work, their movements are restricted and controlled and they are forbidden to leave their home towns. In addition, they are not allowed to shave their heads, join any other religious institutions, practise religion in public or perform religious services for households. Police stations are being established in the main monasteries while army camps are set up in neighbouring villages or crossroads. Despite the lifting of martial law, monks are still not allowed to enter or leave monasteries without a special pass. The following specific cases and incidents in monasteries and nunneries have been reported: Drepung monastery Yeshe Choephel, temple warden of Loseline College, Drepung, was arrested on 9 March 1989 along with five other temple wardens and they were held for four months and 13 days at Sithru, a section of Sangyip prison, of which