Update: Phayul reports that the Tibetan monk who self-immolated in Kathmandu on Wednesday in hospital died late last night. The monk has still not been clearly identified — a Tibetan at the hospital called him Lobsang but Nepali police identified him as Dhondup Lotsey. He is believed to have been in his twenties.
The original story, as reported yesterday, follows: Read More
Chinese police have detained 70 Tibetans, accusing them of inciting or encouraging immolations, Reuters reports. Twelve of them have been arrested, meaning they can be formally charged.
Approximately 100 Tibetans have self-immolated since 2009, and in recent months, the Chinese government has started arresting people it deems to have encouraged the immolations. Read the full story here, and click here for Buddhadharma News’ full coverage of the immolation protests.
The Associated Press reports that eight Tibetans have been found guilty of inciting others to self-immolate. One monk was sentenced to death, though his sentence will probably be commuted to life in prison.
Around 100 Tibetans have self-immolated in protest of Chinese occupation since 2009. Read all Buddhadharma News coverage of the protests here.
Robert Thurman, president of Tibet House US and Je Tsongkhapa Professor of Indo-Tibetan Buddhist Studies at Columbia University, has issued a new video statement about the Tibetan immolation phenomenon. In the video, Thurman states that while Tibetans are not urged to protest in this fashion, and should not be, their sacrifice of those who do should nonetheless be honored. He also shares an anecdote reflecting His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s wish that no one harbor anger or hatred against the Chinese, and that rather compassion should be cultivated in all circumstances.
For more, see Thurman’s Buddhadharma essay on the immolations, and see Buddhadharma News‘s own ongoing coverage.
Tibetan prime-minister-in-exile Lobsang Sangay is suggesting that Tibetans forgo New Year’s celebrations on February 11, instead saying prayers for the approximately 100 Tibetans who have self-immolated in protest of China’s ongoing occupation. In a statement released by the Central Tibetan administration, Sangay said:
“Given this continuing tragic situation, I request my fellow Tibetans to not celebrate Losar (Tibetan New Year) with our usual festivities. Instead, when this year’s holiday falls on February 11, I ask you to perform only the customary religious rituals like visiting temples and making offerings. Read More
Jigjey Kyab in an undated photo
A Tibetan teenager, doused in kerosene and holding lighters in his hands, was found dead from apparent poisoning on Saturday. A source said that 17-year-old Jigjey Kyab consumed poison before self-immolating to avoid being tortured by Chinese police if he survived his burns, but the poison killed him before he had a chance to set himself on fire. His body was found in a street in the Shigtsang Pungkor region of Luchu.
Phayul reports that Kyab leaves behind his parents and a sister, and his family described him as “an obedient and well-mannered boy, who was patriotic and felt strongly for the Tibetan self-immolators.” Read More
A Tibetan man is reportedly dead after self-immolating in the Bora region of Labrang, Eastern Tibet, on Friday afternoon. Kunchok Kyab, 23, set himself on fire around 12 p.m. outside the monastery; reports suggest that he died at the scene. The Tibet Post reports that he is survived by his wife, Dorjee Tso, and their 10-month-old baby. Read More
A Tibetan man is dead after self-immolating in Ngaba, eastern Tibet, on Friday afternoon. Tsering Phuntsok set himself ablaze in front of a Chinese police station in Kyungchu around 3:15 p.m. Friday. He died at the scene.
Phayul reports that Tsering Phuntsok is survived by a wife and two children. It’s uncertain what happened to his body — Read More
Tsering Tashi
Radio Free Asia reports that Chinese police blocked the family of self-immolator Tsering Tashi from carrying out traditional Buddhist funeral rites, instead forcing them to cremate his body immediately. Read more here.
Buddhadharma News‘ original report on his self-immolation follows the jump. Read More
The Tibet Post reports that a popular writer, Gartse Jigmey, was arrested by Chinese police last week in the Amdo region of Eastern Tibet. Jigmey, 36, had recently finished the second volume of his book Tsengpo’s Power of Heart, which describes “the self-immolations in Tibet, rights of minorities in China, human rights issues in Tibet and peaceful uprisings of Tibetans in Tibet,” as well as the Tibetan government-in-exile, the Dalai Lama, and the Panchen Lama. Read More
Photos of Tibetan self-immolators on display at a pro-Tibet rally in New Delhi on Monday, Human Rights Day
Today’s New York Times features a thoughtful Op-Ed by Chinese human rights lawyer Xu Zhiyong about a visit to Tibet during the ongoing wave of self-immolations. “I am sorry we Han Chinese have been silent as Nangdrol and his fellow Tibetans are dying for freedom,” he says.
Though counts being kept around the world do vary, around 100 Tibetans have set themselves on fire since 2009 to protest China’s occupation of Tibet. Most of these incidents took place this year, and their rate of occurrence doesn’t seem to be slowing down. Twenty-eight Tibetans immolated in November, when the Chinese Communist Party met to choose new leaders, and at least five Tibetans have done so this month. How did this begin? Read More
A teenage girl is the latest Tibetan to die from self-immolating in protest of Chinese occupation. Bhenchen Kyi, 17, self-immolated in the Dokarmo region of Tsekhog, in Rebkong, on Sunday evening. As she set the fire, she shouted for the long life of the Dalai Lama and for Tibetan independence. She died at the scene of her protest, and Phayul reports that about 3,000 people attended her funeral, which was held later that night. Read More
Kunchok Phelgye
Two young men are dead after separate self-immolation protests in eastern Tibet on Saturday, Phayul.com reports.
Kunchok Phelgye, 24, a monk at Sumdo Monastery in Dzoege, set himself on fire at the Taktsang Lhamo Kirti Monastery late Saturday afternoon.
Sources said he shouted for the return of His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Kyabje Kirti Rinpoche, exiled head of Kirti Monastery, as flames engulfed his body. He died at the scene, leaving behind nine family members, including his parents.
Also on Saturday afternoon, Pema Dorjee, 23, self-immolated near the Shitsang Monastery in Luchu. Read More
