In the last two days, six Tibetans set themselves on fire (self-immolate) in protest to Chinese rule. “These protests are aimed at sending the next generation of China’s unelected regime a clear signal that Tibetans will continue to fight for their freedom despite China’s efforts to suppress and intimidate them,” Free Tibet director Stephanie Brigden said in a statement.
Since 2011, over 60 Tibetans have self-immolated. Here is a sample of a few:
Dorjee Kyab, Dorjee and Samdup,Dorjee died. 7 November 2012 — In the first documented case of a triple self-immolation, three Tibetan monks in their early teens, aged 15 to 16, set fire to themselves calling for freedom.
Tamdin Tso, 7 November 2012 died
23-year-old mother, Tamdin Tso, set fire to herself in Rebkong County, Eastern Tibet. She was mother to a 5-year-old boy. She died at the scene.
Lhamo Kyab, Bhora, 20 October 2012, died
According to an eyewitness, Lhamo Kyab called out slogans for the return of the Dalai Lama while running towards Bhora Monastery. Security forces tried to extinguish the flames but were unsuccessful. Lhamo Kyab died at the scene.
Sangye Gyatso, Kanlho Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, 6 October 2012, died
The father of two set himself on fire near the Dokar Monastery, which is 10km from Tso City. He died at the scene. Sangye Gyatso called for the return of the Dalai Lama and for cultural and religious freedom in Tibet.
Dolkar Kyi, Tso City, Kanlho, 7 August 2012, died
Set herself on fire in front of Tso Monastery in Kanlho, Eastern Tibet. She died at the scene. After her protest, 15 military trucks were deployed to Tso Monastery, scene of the self-immolation.
Lobsang Tsultrim, Ngaba Town, 6 August 2012, died
The 21-year-old monk set fire to himself on the main road in Ngaba. He was reported to be still alive, his upper body badly injured, when security personnel drove him away in a vehicle. He died soon after.
According to Free Tibet:
Human Rights In Tibet
Tibetans’ civil and political rights are under constant attack by the Chinese authorities who will stop at nothing to suppress dissent.
Every aspect of Tibetan life is under siege from a Chinese leadership determined to gradually eradicate a whole culture. The Tibetan flag and national anthem are banned. Possession of a picture of the Dalai Lama can result in torture and imprisonment.
No right to protest
Tibetans are not free to protest or openly speak about their situation. Even peaceful demonstrations are met with heavy handed, military crackdowns.
In 2008, thousands of Tibetans staged the largest protests in Tibet for over 50 years. Demonstrations swept across the entire Tibetan plateau. Chinese authorities arrested an estimated 6,000 protestors, of which the fate of about 1,000 still remains unknown. The upsurge in protests and self-immolations in 2011 and 2012 has led the Chinese authorities to step up security even further and tighten its stranglehold on Tibet.
Political prisoners tortured
Prisons in Tibet are full of people detained for simply expressing their desire for freedom. People have been arrested and sentenced to prison for peaceful acts, such as:
- waving the Tibetan flag
- distributing leaflets
- sending information about events in Tibet abroad
The Chinese deem these acts as ‘splittist’ or ‘subversive’. Many Tibetans are imprisoned on unclear or unspecified charges, their families not informed of their whereabouts. Released prisoners report of having been subjected to beatings, electric shocks, and being deprived of food and drink. A 2008 UN report found that the use of torture in Tibet was ‘widespread’ and ‘routine’.
Restricting information
China attempts to control all information in and out of Tibet. TV, radio, printed media and the internet are subjected to strict monitoring and censorship. Access is blocked to TV and radio broadcasters based outside China, which provide news services in Tibetan languages. Foreign journalists are rarely allowed entry into Tibet, and when they are, they are closely chaperoned by Chinese officials.
Reporters Without Borders ranked China 174 out of the 179 countries on its Press Freedom Index 2011/12.
Lack of religious freedom
Buddhism is central to Tibetan life and monasteries and nunneries are kept under tight surveillance. Police stations are often situated nearby (or inside). Monks and nuns are regularly subjected to ‘patriotic re-education programmes’, for weeks at a time. During these programs, they are forced to read ‘patriotic’ literature denouncing the Dalai Lama. Those who refuse to take part, or fail the programme, often have their rights to practice as monks and nuns taken away.
Political rights
A US State Department human rights report published in May 2012 said that “ethnic Han Chinese Communist Party members hold almost all top government, police, and military positions in the Tibet Autonomous Region and other areas of Tibet.”
