Contact is taking a holiday!

International media has refocused on the Tibetan issue in recent weeks in light of protests still unfolding both inside and outside Tibet. On Monday, October 17th, twenty year-old Tenzin Wangmo, a nun from the Dechen Chokorling nunnery in Sichuan’s Ngaba prefecture, became the first woman and the ninth Tibetan this year to self-immolate in protest of China’s severe curtailing of religious freedom in the area. Her protest took place just two days after Chinese security forces reportedly shot and wounded two Tibetans during a weekend protest in another part of Sichuan.
According to the London-based organization Free Tibet, Tenzin Wangmo called for religious freedom and the return of His Holiness the Dalai Lama to Tibet as she set herself ablaze around mid-day on Monday. She died of her injuries later that day.
Many of the other eight monks who have likewise attempted, and often succeeded, to publicly commit suicide in this manner this year are from Kirti Monastery, not far from the nunnery where Tenzin Wangmo lived. The situation has been tense there since the Chinese government stationed security personnel inside and around the monastery in 2008 in order to curb further protests and to keep a closer eye on the monks’ activities.
However the rate at which these self-immolations are occurring is increasing, with six out of eight taking place in October alone. The alarming upswing has caused some Western governments and media sources to criticize China for failing to address policies in the TAR and other ethnically Tibetan regions that have led to such drastic actions.
The United States expressed its “serious concern” over the recent surge. “We urge China and its leaders to respect the rights of Tibetans, to address some of the policies in these Tibetan areas that have created tension, and to protect the Tibetans’ unique religious culture and linguistic identity,” said US State Department spokesman Mark Toner at a news conference in Washington. The Chinese government has characterized the recent acts as “terrorism in disguise.” The Chinese Foreign Ministry issued its response a few days later, stating that “Washington should not meddle in China’s internal affairs.”
However the German Foreign Ministry has also called on China to increase transparency in Tibet, especially concerning the situation at Kirti Monastery. A spokesman told reporters on October 21st that the German government is also appealing to China “to change its policy in Tibet to reduce tension.”
The Dalai Lama and the Karmapa jointly led a prayer session and 24-hour fast on Wednesday, October 19th, at the main temple in Dharamsala in memory of the monks and nun who have died. “We pay homage to their courage and stand in solidarity with their indomitable spirit,” said Tibetan Prime Minister, Lobsang Sangay, who also attended the public vigil. China has criticized the Dalai Lama for leading the event, claiming that such attention glorifies acts it characterizes as “splittest” and “immoral.”
The recent wave shows no sign of slowing, however. On October 25th yet another monk, Dawa Tsering from Kardze Monastery, also self-immolated in protest, bringing the total count in 2011 to 10.  Dawa Tsering reportedly shouted slogans for the return of His Holiness the Dalai Lama and for the re-unification of the Tibetan people as he lit himself on fire. Chinese security personnel arrived soon thereafter and put out the flames; however the 39 year old monk has refused medical treatment and at the time of this writing was thought to be in critical condition with severe burns and injuries.
Meanwhile thousands of security forces were reported to have entered Lhasa on October 24th, and the Chinese government appears to be preparing itself for possible future waves of protest. The Tibetan Prime Minister urged the US in Washington on November 2nd to press China to allow both an international delegation and foreign reporters to visit the area where many of the recent self-immolations have taken place.
Yet this recent wave of protest shows no sign of slowing, and has now crossed the border into India. On November 3rd, the first day of the G20 summit, the second nun and 11th Tibetan to self-immolate this year, 35 year old Palden Choetso, died of her injuries after her public protest in Eastern Tibet. Just one day later, Sonam Sherabe, a resident of Majnu ka Tilla in Delhi, set himself on fire during a protest outside the Chinese embassy, bringing the total count to 12. Indian police quickly doused the flames, and he is currently recovering in a Delhi hospital.
Additional Sources: BBC International and Phayul.com