Another Tibetan has taken their own life by dousing themselves in petrol and setting themselves alight — an outcry against Chinese rule.
Sichuan’s Nagba county was the scene of the self-immolation which took place on March 7. Tsekho Tukchak set himself on fire in Meruma, but before dousing himself in petrol he called out: “Long live His Holiness the Dalai Lama and freedom for Tibet”. The 40 year-old Tibetan was objecting to the Chinese authorities’ repression of the residents of Nagba, and the incident marks the 153rd self-immolation in Tibet since 2009.
With the 59th anniversary of the uprising against Chinese forces on March 10, Chinese forces have further increased their presence in Meruma, with internet access blocked and large gatherings forbidden. Tukchak was very vocal in his opposition to the occupation and repression by the Chinese authorities, and was concerned about its effect on the Tibetan community and culture. He is survived by his mother, wife and two daughters who are still living in Meruma in Nagba county.
Since the 2008 uprising, self-immolation has been a powerful tool to draw attention to the repression in Tibet. In March of that year, peaceful protests in the capital city Lhasa were brutally shut down leading to a full scale riot. The Beijing Olympics meant that the world was watching China, and they determined to silence the protesters. Hundreds of Tibetans were detained and shot.
Prayers are being held for Tukchak both at home in Meruma and by Tibetan communities around the world. Sikyong Lobsang Sangay, President of the Tibetan Government-in-Exile, prayed for the martyr during the anniversary of the National Tibetan Uprising Day of 1989. In the ceremony he expressed concerns over the growing resentment of the Tibets living under Chinese rule, with self-immolation perhaps the most extreme form of protest possible.
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