Jigjey Kyab’s letter
Candle lit vigils have been held in the evenings here in McLeod Ganj as we learn fresh news from Tibet of more self-immolations. As the number of known self-immolations nears 100, there seems to be no way to douse the fire raging in Tibet as it continues to cry for freedom and the return of His Holiness.
One teenager, Jigjey Kyab, was found dead with his body doused with kerosene and lighters in his hand. He had
Jigjey Kyab
reportedly consumed poison prior to his self-immolation protest to ensure that he didn’t fall into the hands of the Chinese authorities alive. In earlier instances, surviving Tibetan self-immolators have suffered amputations of all limbs, verbal abuse, interrogations, and maltreatment by doctors and Chinese officials at the hospitals.
In a last note left by his bedside, which was later found by his family members, Jigjey Kyab has called on Tibetans to rise up: “I pray that my aspirations will be fulfilled. If you are your mother’s son – rise up. Sons of the Land of Snows – rise up. Singers of the Snow Land – rise up. May His Holiness the Dalai Lama live for thousands of aeons. My respect to the white snow lion (symbol of Tibet). My prayers for happiness in Tibet.”
Following Kunchok Kyab’s self-imolation at Bora, Ladangin in eastern Tibet’s Amdo region, heavy security has been deployed in the area and scores of monks from Bora monastery have been detained by Chinese security officials.
A local Chinese court in Barkham in eastern Tibet’s Ngaba region has sentenced four monks from Tsodun Kirti monastery to prison terms ranging from 2 –10 years.The reasons for their arrest were not revealed at the time of their detention by the Chinese authorities. Kirti monastery has been the hotbed of Tibetan self-immolations against brutal Chinese policies and the monastery has been under strict Chinese surveillance for the last two years.
Also in Ngaba, China has tried two Tibetans for intentional homicide for having allegedly incited other Tibetans to self-immolate. It was reported that the two were guilty of instigating eight Tibetans to self-immolate. Chinese state media reports said that one was a monk of Kirti Monastery and used his position and influence to encourage others to self-immolate, and alleged that he acted in concert with “some key figures with the media liaison team – a ‘Tibet independence’ organization of the Dalai Lama group, and he continuously sent the latter information about incidents of self-immolation.”
The harsh measures provide an early indication that the country’s new leadership is not easing up on Tibet.Since the start of self-immolations in January this year, and despite repeated international calls for restraint and reconsideration on their policies, the Chinese authorities are intensifying their treatment towards Tibetans. Murder charges are threatened for anyone caught helping or inciting self-immolators, and people offering condolence and prayers to the self-immolators are penalised. Suicide has been criminalised, and protestors’ friends are arrested.
In a communications crackdown, thousands of satellite TVs have been confiscated in the regions where self-immolations are taking place. In Tongren County, more than 1,800 satellite TV dishes were seized and destroyed.
Many local newspapers have run commentaries condemning the Dalai Lama and decrying what they described as the ‘slaughter of Life’, inventing the term ‘The Dalai Clique’ and accusing him of‘Splittist activities’.
In Gansu province of western Tibet, seven Tibetan people were arrested for helping a fellow villager self-immolate in October last year. The Chinese police said investigations showed that two of the men were members of the Dharamsala-based Tibetan Youth Congress (TYC), which they said had “masterminded” the protest. The TYC said that Chinese authorities were making “baseless accusations” about the group, and that the two people named were not members.
Chinese authorities have also targeted the foreign press: there are reports of a New York Times journalist,and an
The prayer service was attended by Sikyong Dr Lobsang Sangay, members of the Kashag, the Tibetan chief justice commissioners, members of the Tibetan parliament as well as hundreds of local Tibetans and Tibet supporters.
undercover journalist from Australia, being thrown out ofTibet. “Behind us is fear, resentment and tragedy, along with
government policies showing no sign of winning over Tibetans”, the NY Times reporter summed up after being escorted out of Tibet.
Prayer services to express solidarity with the Tibetans who sacrificed their lives for the cause of Tibet have been held at
the main Temple in McLeod Ganj. Addressing a prayer service, Sikyong Dr Lobsang Sangay appealed to all Tibetans to “strengthen and amplify” solidarity campaigns.
H.H. the Dalai Lama has told the world media that ‘the unbearable situation in Tibet is the cause of these unfortunate events. These are symptoms of fear, hard line suppressive policy practice by China in Tibet. The time has come for China to think more realistically’.
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