Choephag Kyab and Sonam pass away, Self-immolation death toll reaches 26

Phayul[Friday, April 20, 2012 11:54]

By Tendar Tsering

Exiled Tibetans and supporters in Dharamshala, north India, hold a candle light vigil in solidarity with Choephag Kyab and Sonam, who set themselves on fire in the Zamthang region of Ngaba, eastern Tibet on April 19, 2012 (Phayul photo)

DHARAMSHALA, April 20: Exile sources are confirming the death of Choephag Kyab and Sonam, the two young Tibetan, who set themselves on fire in the Zamthang region of Ngaba, eastern Tibet, yesterday.

Speaking at a candle light vigil in the exile headquarters of Dharamshala, Thursday evening, an exile Tibetan, Tsangyang Gyatso, who has contacts in the region, confirmed the deaths.

“Choephag Kyab and Sonam are relatives. Both succumbed to their burn injuries,” Gyatso told a gathering of Tibetan and foreigners.

The two lay Tibetans, both in their early 20s, torched themselves at around 1 pm (local time) yesterday in an apparent protest against China’s continued occupation of Tibet.

They carried out their fiery protest close to a local government office in Barma township near Jonang Zamthang Gonchen monastery in Zamthang (Ch: Rangtang) county, in the distraught Ngaba region, the nerve centre of the ongoing wave of self-immolations in Tibet.

Local Tibetans gathered in large numbers at the site of the protest to protect them from being carried away by Chinese security personnel and later carried the bodies to the Zamthang monastery.

“Though the Chinese police were not able to confiscate the bodies of Choephag Kyab and Sonam, but the local Tibetans have been issued strict orders to cremate them by the day’s end,” Gyatso said.

Although no further details on the developments in Zamthang are currently available, sources say that hundreds of monks have gathered at the monastery, saying prayers for the two Tibetans.

The continuing wave of self-immolations in Tibet has witnessed 35 Tibetans set their bodies on fire, since 2009, demanding the return of His Holiness the Dalai Lama from exile and freedom in Tibet.

Speaking at the candle light vigil, Dhondup Lhadar, vice president of the Tibetan Youth Congress noted that the continuing wave of self-immolations was a sign of growth of the Tibetan struggle.

“With the fiery wave of self-immolations we are being terrified and troubled. But we must also realise that this is a growth of our struggle,” Lhadar said. “We have been driven to shed tears but we must never forget why we are shedding those tears.”

In a recent interview to a media crew of the Taiwan based Next TV, His Holiness the Dalai Lama said that the People Republic of China’s “totalitarian, blind, unrealistic” policies in Tibet are responsible for the ongoing wave of self-immolations in Tibet.

“This problem (self-immolations) has been started by the totalitarian, blind, unrealistic policies,” the Tibetan leader said. “So, the people who created these policies must think seriously.”

Two more self-immolations in Tibet

Phayul[Thursday, April 19, 2012 13:52]

DHARAMSHALA, April 19: In reports coming out of Tibet, two more Tibetans set their bodies on fire today in an apparent protest against China’s continued occupation of Tibet.

The two lay Tibetans are being identified as Choephag Kyab and Sonam from the Zamthang region of Ngaba, eastern Tibet.

Exile sources say that the two set themselves of fire at around 1 pm (local time).

No further details are available on the condition of the two Tibetan youths, both in their early 20s.

The continuing wave of self-immolations in Tibet has witnessed 35 Tibetans set their bodies on fire demanding the return of His Holiness the Dalai Lama from exile and freedom in Tibet.

Speaking to reporters earlier this week in Hawaii, the Dalai Lama had called for an investigation into the “real causes” of the self-immolations in Tibet.

“Now the time comes for the Chinese authority to investigate what are the real causes,” the Tibetan spiritual leader told reporters.

On February 19, Nangdrol, 18 had set himself on fire in Zamthang, raising slogans calling for the ‘long life of His Holiness the Dalai Lama’ and ‘freedom for Tibet.’ He passed away at the site of his protest.

Reacting to the recently released video clip showing Chinese security personnel pushing down and kicking a Tibetan self-immolator while still on fire, Tenzin Chokyi, the general secretary of the Tibetan Youth Congress told Phayul that the “absolute barbarism” displayed by the Chinese authorities will “only fuel more resentment and opposition” against the regime.

“Seeing their sacrifice only reinforces our determination to work for a free Tibet more resolutely and strongly," Chokyi said.

Video clip shows police kicking burning Tibetan man

Phayul[Wednesday, April 18, 2012 13:18]

A screen grab of the video clip showing Losang Jamyang's body engulfed in flames in Ngaba on January 14, 2012. (ICT)

DHARAMSHALA, April 18: China’s inhuman brutality and total disregard for Tibetan life are at full display in a 45-second video clip released Tuesday by an overseas Tibet group.

The dramatic visuals (viewer discretion advised) show Chinese security personnel mercilessly knocking down and kicking a Tibetan self-immolator while his body is still on fire. There have been several other reports of similar instances where Chinese security forces have brutally beaten and maimed Tibetan self-immolators.

The footage has been shot on January 14 in Ngaba, eastern Tibet and documents the self-immolation protest of Losang Jamyang, 22, a former monk at the Andu monastery in Ngaba.

The self-immolation protest had led to public demonstrations and police firing in which a number of Tibetans were injured, some severely, including a woman who was blinded and a man who sustained a severe injury to his neck from a metal prod used by police.

Lobsang Jamyang, a leading member of a popular association for the promotion of Tibetan language in his village doused himself in petrol inside a public toilet cubicle at an intersection in Ngaba county town and set himself on fire. He then walked on to the street shouting slogans for the long life of the Dalai Lama and for freedom in Tibet.

The footage released by the Washington based International Campaign for Tibet, begins with the flames on Losang Jamyang’s body having seemingly died down and armed police and Tibetans gathered around the body.

A few seconds later, sound of tear-gas being fired to disperse the crowd can be heard. Later, police opened fire on the crowd, which is not seen in the clip.

In a fiery turn of event, flames once again leap up from Losang Jamyang’s body, almost 10 seconds into the clip. Now enveloped in flames, Losang Jamyang stands up and leaps around as Tibetan onlookers scream and cry out. A Tibetan voice could be heard, fervently praying "Gyalwang Tenzin Gyatso! Gyalchen Dorje Hwaltsal!" Gyalwang Tenzin Gyatso is the name of the Dalai Lama. Gyalchen Dorje Hwaltsal is a protector of Kirti monastery

Losang Jamyang in an undated photo. (Photo/Kirti Monastery)

Immediately, Chinese armed police and special police forces are seen rushing into the frame. A few seconds later, a policeman uses a pushcart to knock Losang Jamyang to the ground and as he falls, police on either side can be seen kicking him before they decide to extinguish the flames a second time.

Although it is not exactly clear how Losang Jamyang’s body once again caught fire, but observers believe that he could have drunk petrol or worn clothes heavily doused with petrol and the fire had not been completely extinguished the first time.

Local Tibetans, angered by what they had witnessed, gather around and try to prevent the Chinese security forces from taking away Losang Jamyang just before the clip abruptly ends.

According to the exile base of the Kirti monastery in Dharamshala, Chinese security personnel responded by arresting and beating people at random with spiked clubs and opening fire on the crowd. Scores of Tibetans were severely injured and one woman was blinded.

Losang Jamyang passed away on January 16 in Barkham, Ngaba.

His relatives in exile told ICT that after the self-immolation, police visited Losang Jamyang's family and demanded payment for fire damage to police uniforms, which were described as "state property."

“This is gut wrenching. The more I look at China’s unimaginable brutality on the Tibetan people, the more I am convinced that I will never be able to live under this same communist regime,” Woedhen, a Tibetan college student told Phayul after watching the clip.

Since 2009, the wave of self-immolations in Tibet has witnessed 33 Tibetans set their bodies on fire demanding the return the Dalai Lama from exile and freedom in Tibet.

“This is not the first time that Chinese police have used force against Tibetan self-immolators,” Lobsang Yeshi, a Tibetan member of parliament told Phayul. “Pawo Tapey was shot at and others were mercilessly beaten under the garb of extinguishing their flames. This video clip throws light on the dark age of China's uncivilised and barbaric rule over Tibet.”

High time to investigate the real causes of self-immolations says the Dalai Lama

Phayul[Tuesday, April 17, 2012 19:11]

By Tendar Tsering

His Holiness the Dalai Lama addresses students at Kailua High School on 'Cultivating Unbiased Compassion' at Kailua High School in Oahu, Hawaii, April 16, 2012. (Photo/ Eyes of the Island Photography)

DHARAMSHALA, April 17: Speaking at a press conference in the American state of Hawaii, the Tibetan spiritual leader His Holiness the Dalai Lama on Monday said it is high time that China began to investigate the real causes of the self-immolations in Tibet.

“Now the time comes for the Chinese authority to investigate what are the real causes,” the Dalai Lama said referring to the ongoing wave of self-immolations inside Tibet.

Since 2009, the wave of self-immolations in Tibet has witnessed 34 Tibetans set their bodies on fire demanding the return the Dalai Lama from exile and freedom in Tibet. Major protests involving thousands of Tibetans in recent months have been brutally suppressed with indiscriminate firing and arrests.

However, drawing from the reformist statements made by the Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao in recent times, the Tibetan spiritual leader said he is hopeful of reformation and change in China.

Referring to Wen’s statements and the recent crackdown on corruption in China, the Dalai Lama said “majority of the Chinese leadership is thinking seriously of some change.”

“That is a hopeful thing,” the Dalai Lama added.

Arriving in Hawaii on Friday, His Holiness has been engaged in talks with high school and college students, encouraging compassionate and responsible behaviour and has participated in panel discussion with native Hawaiian leaders on “the Importance of Native Intelligence in Modern Times.”

The 76-year old Tibetan leader also gave a public talk on “Advancing Peace through the power of Aloha,” a talk centering around the role of peace and compassion in daily life.

In honour of the Nobel Peace Laureate’s visit, Hawaii’s Governor, Neil Abercrombie, presented His Holiness with a proclamation declaring April 15, 2012 as “Dalai Lama Day.”

The Dalai Lama will begin the second leg of his tour beginning April 18 and is scheduled to attend three sold-out public events on his first ever visit to San Diego.

Film 'Little Tibet' at Church House - Sunday 15th April 7:30pm

DATE: Sun, 15th April 2012   TIME 7.30pm 
VENUE:  Church House, Church Street,
Corsham Wiltshire
click here for map or see below
PRICE : £3.00
Known as Little Tibet, Ladakh borders Tibet and sits on the roof of the world in northern India. Sonam is a Tibetan who can no longer return to his own country and is in search of Tibet outside of Tibet. Sharing much of Tibet's culture, language and landscape could Ladakh be that place? Follow his journey through rain, snow and desert where he discovers the beauty of his culture preserved in this remote, high altitude land.










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Duncan Hames Conclusions to SFT on Nomads

SFT White Wednesday Lhakar in Corsham 1 April 2012

Self-immolation death toll rises to 24 in Tibet

Phayul[Monday, April 02, 2012 13:28]

Chimey Palden, 21, seen here in an undated photo. (Photo/Kirti Monastery)

April 2: The death toll in the ongoing wave of self-immolations is rising, as one of the two Tibetan monks who set themselves on fire on March 30 in eastern Tibet, has been declared dead.

According the exile base of Kirti Monastery in Dharamshala, monk Chimey Palden, 21, was declared dead the same day of his self-immolation while the other monk Tenpa Darjey, 22, is “not expected to survive.”

The two monks of the Tsodun monastery in Barkham, set themselves on fire in an apparent protest against China’s continued occupation of Tibet on Friday, at around the same time when the body of exile Tibetan self-immolater, Jamphel Yeshi was being cremated with full state honour in the exile Tibetan headquarters of Dharamshala.

The Tsodun monks had self-immolated in Barkham, the seat of the Ngaba Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture government and Barkham county government. They were taken by Chinese security personnel to a nearby prefecture hospital and held under strict security.

Information on Chimey Palden’s death came out when a group of over 100 local Tibetans gathered at the hospital the same night, appealing for the two monks to be handed back or the locals be allowed to see the two monks.

“Instead of listening to them, the security forces indiscriminately arrested and beat members of the crowd, many people were injured, and people arrested at the entrance of the hospital were taken into detention,” Kanyag Tsering, a Kirti monk in Dharamshala said.

Tenpa Darjey, 22, seen here in a file photo. (Photo/Kirti monastery)

With the crowd continuing to persist with their demands of meeting the monks, it was later revealed at around midnight that Chimey Palden had passed away.

His body was cremated immediately and at 5 am (local time) on March 31, and some of his ashes were handed over to Tsodun monastery, Kanyag added.

Following the twin self-immolations, the situation in the Barkham region has been described “tense” with large numbers of armed police and special police enforcing a blockade on a bridge leading the Tsodun monastery.

“When serious danger of a confrontation between police and locals developed, the head of the monastery management committee and others intervened and called for both sides to respect each other’s positions so that no incident occurred,” Kanyag said.

“The public were persuaded to stop shouting in protest, and the armed police to
withdraw from the bridge, and for a while, order was restored, but tension remains, and apparently could become critical if the authorities actually enforce a blockade of the monastery and arrest monks.”

According the Dharamshala based Central Tibetan Administration, 33 Tibetans in Tibet have torched themselves since 2009, demanding the return of His Holiness the Dalai Lama from exile and freedom in Tibet.

Fire rages on: Tibetan monk dies in fiery protest

[Thursday, March 29, 2012 02:11]

March 29: Even as news of Jamphel Yeshi's death began to spread around the world, another young Tibetan in the beleagured Ngaba region of Tibet passed away in a fiery protest on March 28.

The exile base of Kirti monastery in Dharamshala said that Sherab, a 20-year-old monk set himself on fire in the main street of Cha township raising protests against the Chinese government.

"At about 7.10 pm (local time) on March 28, Sherab, a 20 year old monk, set himself on fire in the main street of Cha township in Ngaba county, shouting protests against Chinese government repression," the release said. He died at the site of his protest.

Chinese security personnel present at the scene forcibly removed his body, ignoring pleas of local Tibetans who wanted it to be returned to his family.

"As soon as he died, local people were going to take his body away (for funeral), but armed police and other security forces arrived on the scene and forcibly removed the body, ignoring repeated pleas to hand it over to his family members," the release said.

Sherab had become a monk at the Ganden Tenpeling monastery in Raruwa at the age of nine and joined Kirti monastery for higher studies last October.

Sherab had returned to his home township from the Kirti monastery on March 26.

"Immediately after the incident took place, armed police imposed a security clampdown on the township," the release said.

Following the ongoing wave of self-immolations in Tibet and particularly in Ngaba, 300 Chinese government officials “of undisclosed position/rank” have been stationed at the Kirti monastery, and throughout Ngaba.

This is the second self-immolation in Cha Township, this month. On March 5, an 18-year-old named Dorjee also set himself on fire and died in the township, which is around 70 km from Ngaba Town.

31 Tibetans have set their bodies on fire in Tibet since 2009 demanding the return of His Holiness the Dalai Lama from exile and freedom in Tibet.

On March 26, Jamphel Yeshi, a 27-year-old Tibetan set his body on fire in front of hundreds of Tibetans gathered in New Delhi demanding international intervention in the ongoing crisis in Tibet and protesting Chinese President Hu Jintao's visit. Jamphel Yeshi passed away in the morning of March 28.

Jamphel Yeshi passes away

Phayul[Wednesday, March 28, 2012 13:31]
28 March 2012: Jamphel Yeshi, 27 who set himself on fire on March 26 in an apparent protest against the continued Chinese occuation of Tibet in front of hundreds of Tibetans who had converged from all over India at Jantar mantar to protest Chinese President Hu Jintao’s visit breathed his last this morning.

The doctors announced Jamphel Yeshi, clinically dead at 7:30 am(local time) today.

Dhondup Lhadar, Vice-President, TYC said: "Martyr Jamphel Yeshi’s sacrifice will be written in golden letters in the annals of our freedom struggle. He will live on to inspire and encourage the future generations of Tibetans. The brilliant radiance of his fire will dispel the darkness of China's illegal occupation of Tibet and regenerate the spirit of Tibetan independence.

"Martyr Thupten Ngodup was the first known Tibetan to have self-immolated in our freedom struggle during an indefinite hunger strike organised by TYC in New Delhi in 1998. In Tibet, since Martyr Tapey's self-immolation in 2009, 30 Tibetans have set their bodies on fire demanding the return of His Holiness the Dalai Lama and freedom for Tibet. Pawo Jamphel Yeshi's self-immolation marks a milestone in our freedom struggle where Tibetans inside and outside of Tibet stand ever united in our fights against the Chinese occupying forces."

Jamphel Yeshi had suffered 98 per cent burn injuries to his body. Doctors had given him zero per cent of survival chance but Martyr Jamphel Yeshi’s heart fought against his body to survive the grueling pain.

Jamphel Yeshi escaped to India in 2006 and studied at the Tibetan Transit School in Dharamshala for nearly three and a half years. A native of Kham Tawu, eastern Tibet, he had been living in Delhi for nearly two years now.

The Tibetan Youth Congress will carry the body of Pawo Jamphel Yeshi to the Tibetan exile headquarters of Dharamshala and hold a grand funeral deserving of a martyr.

He is survived by his mother and four siblings, all in Tibet.

There have been 31 self immolations since 2009 and 23 have lost their lives.

China arrests Tibetan singer over lyrics

Phayul[Wednesday, March 28, 2012 09:03]

By Tendar Tsering

DHARAMSHALA, March 28: China arrested a popular Tibetan singer, Ugyen Tenzin after his album praising the Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama and Kalon Tripa Dr Lobsang Sangay went viral last month.

Reports coming out of Tibet indicate that Ugyen Tenzin was arrested amidst prevailing crackdown in Kham Ngangchen of Tibet in mid-February following the release of his album.

“China is targeting the Tibetan singers and writers because they are the ones who inspire the fellow Tibetans to stand in front of the Chinese guns amids the crackdown in Tibet,” Jamphel Monlam, the assistant director of Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy said.

Since 2008, China has arrested around 60 Tibetan artists, Jamphel added.

According to the US based Radio Free Asia, the 25-year-old Tibetan singer just went under a surgery prior to his arrest, putting him in a critical condition.

Ugyen sang songs praising the de facto Tibetan Prime Minister, Dr Lobsang Sangay and Gyalwang Karmapa Ugyen Trinley Dorjee.

Following Tapey’s self-immolation, 29 more Tibetans in Tibet have torched their bodies calling for freedom in Tibet and return of the Dalai Lama from exile.

Recent mass protests have been violently suppressed with indiscriminate firings and suspected protesters are being rounded up in large scale manhunts and night time raids.