Friday, November 16, 2012

Two Tibetans dead after self-immolation protests in China

Calcutta News.Net Friday 16th November, 2012

The Voice of America (VOA) quoting Tibetan sources said that two Tibetans have died after setting themselves on fire in Qinghai.

Citing sources in the region, the radio service said that the latest to fell victim to deadly protests were 18-year-old Kabum Gyal and 23-year-old woman Dangzin Dolma.

The man and woman set themselves afire in two separate incidents in different areas of Tongren county, known in Tibetan as Rebkong.

The VOA said 74 self-immolation protests were reported in Tibetan regions of China since 2009, with 60 cases known to have resulted in deaths.

The Washington-based Radio Free Asia also reported the latest incidents, which were also confirmed by the London-based Free Tibet.

The group said that the protests were meant to highlight Tibetan unhappiness with Chinese rule as the country's leaders handed over power to Xi Jinping and six other members of the Politburo Standing Committee.

Tibetans accuse the Chinese government of suppressing their religious and cultural rights.

China says Tibetans enjoy religious freedom and benefit from better living standards linked to Chinese investment in underdeveloped Tibetan regions.

Chinese leaders have blamed exiled Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama for inciting the self-immolations to promote Tibetan separatism.

Prime Minister Lobsang Sangay, who lives in exile with the Dalai Lama in this hill town of India, Friday told a meeting that "the international community will clearly show what they stand for" in supporting Tibetan cause.

"Tibet is a litmus test for China and the world," Sangay said.

He was speaking at a special meeting in Dharamsala, the headquarters of the Dalai Lama.

About 200 delegates are participating in the three-day meeting of Tibetan support groups to seek international help to make China change its "repressive policies".

"By not supporting us in our non-violent struggle, the world will send a wrong message to all oppressed people of the world," Sangay said, stressing that his people remained committed to a non-violent approach in resolving their 60-year long struggle.

He said it was time for the international community to recognize this and focus on Tibet.

During a visit to Japan on Monday, the Dalai Lama said China must conduct a "thorough investigation" into the self-immolations rather than placing the blame on him.

Source: http://www.calcuttanews.net/index.php/sid/210772834/scat/701ee96610c884a6

michael phelps Kerri Strug Ledecky Nadia Comaneci

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