Double self immolation protest marks crackdown anniversary

Phayul[Monday, March 17, 2014 22:59]

DHARAMSHALA, MARCH 17: Another Tibetan monk has immolated himself outside his monastery in Tsekhog County, Malho Prefecture, on Sunday, that saw double self immolation protests in Tibet. A monk whose name is not yet known carried out the protest around 7.30 AM (local time) on Sunday. He was a monk of Sonag monastery in Jhador township in Tsekhog. As of now, it is not known if he is alive or dead. Sources say that the authorities immediately cut down all communication lines including all micro-messaging apps to ensure that the news and pictures if any were not sent out. Lobsang Palden, another Tibetan monk immolated himself at the 'Pawoe Sanglam' (Martyr's Street) in Ngaba town on Sunday, which marked six years since a brutal crackdown by armed Chinese forces on Tibetan protesters leading to the death of at least ten Tibetans including a monk in Ngaba. March 16, 2014 marks the sixth year since protests by Tibetans in Ngaba in 2008 when several Tibetans died, were tortured or imprisoned in the run up to the Beijing Olympics. Three monks of Kirti monastery had died since 2011 by setting their bodies on fire on the same date (March 16) at the same spot which began to be known as 'Pawoe Sanglam' (Martyr's Street). They were Lobsang Phuntsok (2011), Lobsang Tsuiltrim (2012), and Lobsang Thokmay (2013).