Three teenagers in triple self-immolation protest in Tibet

Phayul[Wednesday, November 07, 2012 22:07]

In more alarming reports coming out of Tibet three teenaged Tibetan monks set themselves on fire today in a triple self-immolation protest outside a Chinese police station in Ngaba, eastern Tibet. The three monks have been identified as Dorjee, 15-year-old, Samdup, 16-year-old, and Dorjee Kyab, 16-year-old. All three were monks of the Ngoshul Monastery, located at around 12 kms west of Ngaba district. The three monks set themselves on fire in front of the local Chinese police station at around 3 pm (local time). Dorjee, 15, is believed to have passed away, while the two others have reportedly been taken to a hospital by Chinese security personnel. “The three Tibetan martyrs raised slogans calling for freedom in Tibet and that His Holiness the Dalai Lama should be allowed to return to Tibet, before setting themselves on fire,” Kanyag Tsering, an exiled monk with close contacts in the region said. “15-year-old Dorjee succumbed to his injuries at the site of the protest, while Samdup and Dorjee Kyab have reportedly been taken to the Ngaba district hospital by Chinese security personnel.” Following the protests, the entire Ngaba district is currently under increased surveillance with restrictions placed on the movement of local Tibetans. “Ngoshul Monastery is under severe restrictions and further communications to the region failed,” Tsering added. The three monks are the youngest Tibetans to have set themselves on fire since the fiery wave of protests began in 2009. The self-immolation protests by the three monks in Ngaba and one Tibetan woman, Tamding Tso in Rebkong today comes on the eve of Chinese Communist Party’s 18th National Congress in Beijing. The Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile today urged China’s new leadership under Xi Jinping to “desist from the existing policy of avoidance or the false notion of not accepting the existence of a Tibetan Issue” and instead “revive the channels of meaningful contacts to resolve the longstanding issue of Tibet.” Tibetan lawmakers also urged the 18th Congress to “seriously deliberate on the continuing spate of self- immolations in Tibet, conduct a thorough investigation into the underlying causes and develop corrective policies and measures that meets the aspiration of the Tibetan people.” With the four self-immolations today in Tibet, 67 Tibetans have now set themselves on fire since 2009 demanding freedom in Tibet and the return of the Dalai Lama from exile.