Situation in Tibet spiraling out of control

Phayul[Monday, October 17, 2011 23:35]

By Sherab Woeser Tibet Burning: A campaign poster calling world's attention and support for the sacrifices being made by Tibetans inside Tibet. DHARAMSHALA, October 17: Reports coming out of Tibet confirm the demise of yet another Tibetan, this time a nun, after she torched her body in an apparent protest against China’s continued occupation of Tibet. Tenzin Wangmo, around 20 years of age, set herself on fire at around 1 pm local time in the Ngaba region of eastern Tibet today. The exile base of Kirti Monastery, citing eyewitnesses, in a release today said that Tenzin Wangmo self immolated on a crossroad near her monastery, the Mamae Dechen Choekhorling Nunnery, about 3 kms away from Ngaba County. “Tenzin Wangmo was engulfed in flames as she marched on the streets for nearly 7 to 8 minutes raising slogans calling for the return of His Holiness the Dalai Lama from exile and religious freedom in Tibet,” the release said. Tenzin Wangmo died immediately. According to the release, nuns from the Mamae nunnery carried Tenzin Wangmo’s body to the nunnery and despite repeated warnings from Chinese security personnel, refuse to give possession of the deceased’s body. “The Chinese authorities have given the nuns an ultimatum to either hand over the deceased’s body or bury Tenzin Wangmo’s body by tonight,” the release said. The situation around Mamae nunnery, which is the largest nunnery in the Ngaba region with over 350 nuns, is being described as tense. This is the ninth incidence in this year alone when a Tibetan has been driven to the extreme sacrifice of burning one’s own body as a last resort of peaceful action against the Chinese government’s repressive policies in Tibet. The first 17 days of October has already witnessed five self-immolations in Ngaba region. Khaying, Choephel, and Tenzin Wangmo succumbed to their injuries while Kesang Wangchuk is being described in critical condition. There is no information as yet on the whereabouts of Norbu Damdul who was last seen being taken away by Chinese security personnel on October 15. The Central Tibetan Administration in a release earlier today said that His Holiness the Dalai Lama will be presiding over the “grand prayer service to mourn the tragic self-immolations in Tibet” scheduled for October 19 in Dharamshala, north India.