Lobsang Tsultrim, 21, self-immolated August 6th
Dolkar Kyi, mid-20's, self-immolated August 7th
The ongoing wave of Tibetan self-immolations worsened this month, with more protests centered in the Ngaba region of Eastern Tibet.
On August 6th, Lobsang Tsultri, a native of Ngaba, set himself on fire near Kirti Monastery. According to reports he shouted slogans calling for the return of His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Kirti Rinpoche to Tibet, and for the re-opening of the Kirti Monastic School. He died from his injuries the same night in a local hospital.
The following day, August 7th, Dolkar Tso(Kyi), mother of two children aged 5 and 2, passed away after self-immolating near Tsoe Monastery in the Kanlho region of eastern Tibet. There were reports that two monks from Tsoe were arrested later that night by Chinese authorities on charges of sheltering her body inside the monastery. When Chinese security personnel returned the next day to arrest 17 more monks, a group of monks and lay people gathered in protest demanding the release of those earlier detained.
Just three days later, on August 10th, 24 year-old Choepa, set himself on fire at the small nomadic village of Meuruma in Ngaba. It was reported that Chinese security personnel arrived at the scene within minutes, doused the flames on his body and took him away. He died the same day, according to Kanyag Tsering, a researcher at the Kirti Monastery, “while he was being forcibly taken to the nearby region of Barkham.” Choepa had been involved with a massive candlelight vigil and demonstration in Meuruma on January 23rd. Chinese security forces had hunted for him, but he managed to elude capture until the day of his protest.
On August 13 two more protesters, identified as Lungtok, a 20 year-old monk from Kirti monastery, and Tashi, a 21 year-old former monk, set themselves on fire. They were protesting Chinese policies near the Kirti Monastery on the main road in Ngaba, now referred to as the “Martyr’s street” due to the high number of self-immolations that have been taken place there. Lungtok died hours later and Tashi passed away the following day. There were also reports of a third self-immolation, carried out by another monk from Kirti monastery, but this remains unconfirmed as a result of heightened security in the region.
The dual immolations triggered clashes between local Tibetans and Chinese police, resulting in one protester being beaten to death and a large number severely injured. A large scale deployment of armed police throughout the Ngaba region was immediately put in effect. Police arrested three monks –Lobsang Senge, 19, Tenga Yarphel, 18, and Namse, 18– during a night raid at Gyalron Tsodun Kirti Monastery in the Barkham region, and took them to an unknown location. On August 16, two more monks –Thubwang Tensin, 20, and Aasung, 22– were also arrested on unknown charges.
In memory of Tibetans who have self-immolated since 2009, a prayer service was held in Dharamsala at the Tsuglagkhang temple on August 16th, attended by officials of the Central Tibetan Administration. In a statement, the Department of Religion and Culture expressed its “deep condolence and solidarity with all those Tibetans who have sacrificed their lives for the just cause of Tibet.”
The abbot of Namgyal monastery presides over the August 16th prayer ceremony in memory of Tibetans who have self-immolated - Photo from tibet.net
Kalon Tripa Doctor Lobsang Sangay renewed his appeal to the international community to pay attention to this surge of Tibetan self-immolations during a meeting of the Foreign Correspondent’s Club of South Asia in Delhi on August 20th. He pushed for an international delegation to be sent to Tibet to investigate the causes of these protests and for unrestricted access of international media to the region. Dr Sangay emphasized the need for persistence and forward-thinking, stating that, “as a human being one should remain always hopeful –and with so many changes in Arab countries and Aung San Suu Kyi freed, there are reasons to be hopeful.”
Yet on August 28th, two more self-immolations were confirmed in Ngaba. Lobsang Kelsang, an 18 year-old monk from Kirti Monastery, and Damchoe, a 17 year-old former monk, reportedly shouted protests against Chinese government policies before being taken away to a local hospital where both succumbed to their injuries. Damchoe was the younger brother of Tenzin Choedron, the nun from Mamae nunnery in Ngaba who self-immolated in February of this year.
Chinese authorities have labeled the self-immolators as terrorists, outcasts, criminals, and mentally ill people, and accuse the Dalai Lama of encouraging the burnings. But as tension continues to mount and the situation remains unresolved, rights groups suggest that this wave of burnings may continue until the problems in Tibetan areas are meaningfully addressed.
Print
Email