E/CN.4/1995/91 page 126 d. Construction The authorities stated that, because of the policy of separation of the State from religion, the construction of places of worship depended on the religious organizations and their financial capacity. However, the Government could contribute financially to the major places of worship. Furthermore, voluntary donations were permitted. It was not possible to obtain more precise information on the scale of construction of places of worship or the exact amount of money earmarked for this. e. Restoration According to the authorities, the State can give financial assistance for the restoration of places of worship and other religious places. In Tibet, the authorities claimed to have spent 40 million Yuan on the restoration of the Potala. In addition, 1,400 places of worship are said to have been restored and re-opened. The Institute of World Religions states that public fund-raising is also possible. There is no full and detailed information on the restoration of places of worship or places of a religious character in general. f. Restitution The majority of the religious associations (Christian, Muslim and Taoist) are said to encounter difficulties in reclaiming places of worship and property confiscated during the Cultural Revolution. The Chinese People’s Political Consultative Committee stated that it sent out delegations on this matter every year to be able to submit the problem to the central authorities. The authorities would assist with the restitution of these places of worship but the procedure underway would take some time. Once again, specific data and figures are not available. g. Access to places of worship The Special Rapporteur was informed that entrance fees were charged at places of worship only for tourists and only at large or medium-sized places of worship. Moreover, the State did not deduct any tax. It was also confirmed that in Tibet, religious workers who had served sentences for "counter-revolutionary crimes" could not return to their places of worship. h. Security With regard to Tibet, when the Special Rapporteur asked about the presence of security posts in monasteries, the CERA replied that all monastery staff were members of religious orders, some of whom, in the large and medium-sized monasteries, were employed as guards by the Democratic Management Council. Police stations were to be found within the environs of monasteries and they could request the assistance of the security forces at large-scale events in order to ensure that traffic flowed smoothly and those entering the monastery did so in an orderly fashion.

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