Another Tibetan Self-Immolation Amid Tensions in China

By: Jessica Ties
Impunity Watch Reporter, Asia

BEIJING, China – Another Tibetan protester has set himself ablaze in protest of China’s rule over a Tibetan region in the Sichuan province of China.

Scheduled Tibetan protests and recent self-immolations have led to increased security in China (Photo Courtesy of Free Tibet Now).

The most recent occurrence adds to the wave of self-immolation being used to express resistance to the role the Chinese government is playing in the Tibetan region.

Since March 2009 twenty-one Tibetans, a majority of which were monks, have self-immolated causing the Chinese government to crackdown on monasteries.

Although the individual has not been identified, witnesses have reported that he appeared to be a monk and was shouting slogans before being carried away by the soldiers and the police. Two other monks were also detained and have yet to be identified.

Reports have indicated that three other self-immolations occurred just five days ago in the same province in which at least six Tibetan protesters were killed and sixty injured.

Security in China has been extremely tight in preparation of the planned prayers and protests of Tibetans across the world who intend to bring attention to and show respect for those who have sacrificed their lives for the Tibetan effort.

According to Lobsang Sangay, the leader of the exile government, Chinese security forces have been seen moving toward Tibet in the past few days in preparation for the Tibetan New Year on February 22 and the March anniversary of a failed uprising that occurred in 1959 and resulted in the exile of the Dalai Lama.

India-based monk, Kanyag Tsering, told Radio Free Asia that “[t]he Tibetans in Tibet are aware of the exile Tibetans’ global solidarity protest today, and as a result there was a massive security presence in Ngaba. During the daytime, almost no Tibetans were seen in the street.”

China’s Foreign Ministry spokesman, Liu Hei, has warned that “the Chinese government will resolutely crack down on any attempt to incite violence or to disrupt national unity and integrity.”

Following the protests links to telephone and internet communication have been cut in certain tumultuous regions and foreign journalists, such as CNN, have been shut out.

In addition, Tibet’s official newspaper has warned that leaders who do not maintain stability would be fired and as part of a “thankfulness education” campaign, Tibetans are required to hang the portraits of Chinese leaders in their homes.

Urges by the United States for China to allow independent observers into the restive areas have gone ignored and the authorities in China’s northern and western provinces have indicated that they will recruit 8,000 police officers to deploy in all villages for added security.


For more information, please see:

The Australian – Beijing Warning on Tibet Vigils – 9 February 2012

ABC News – Exile Prime Minister Decries Chinese Rule in Tibet – 8 February 2012

Radio Free Asia – New Self-Immolation Amid Tensions – 8 February 2012

Wall Street Journal – Tibetans Burning – 8 February 2012

CNN – CNN Crew Detained Amid Chinese Tibet Crackdown – 30 January 2012

Author: Impunity Watch Archive