Self-immolations and the fight for true freedom

[icy]

November 26: Seven Tibetans including three monks of Jonang Akong monastery have been arrested in Pema County for their alleged links to the recent self immolation protest by a Tibetan youth named Tsering Gyal on November 11.

The seven Tibetans are currently detained in a prison in the County. Due to strict monitoring of all communication facilities, there is no further information about the seven Tibetans.

Tsering Gyal, 20, died after a self immolation protest against Chinese government in Pema County in Golog. Engulfed in flames, Gyal collapsed after walking a few meters towards the County headquarters from a giant lotus made up of concrete at the centre of the town. Chinese police on street patrol arrived at the scene and doused the fire.

Tsering was rushed to the county hospital but he succumbed to his burn injuries on the way to a bigger hospital in Xiling.

Following the self immolation protest by Gyal, a large number of armed forces have been deployed in the Akong monastery campus and nearby areas.
Gyal’s home is also under constant surveillance with local Tibetans visiting his family to pay their last respects being restricted by the Chinese authorities.

The Chinese authorities have issued a notice summoning all the eye witnesses of Gyal’s self immolation protest.

Since 2009, 123 Tibetans have set themselves on fire in Tibet protesting against the China’s occupation of Tibet and its hard-line policies.

The Chinese government vows to respond to the self-immolations with even harsher policies, criminalizing the fiery protests and sentencing scores of people to heavy prison terms on charges of “intentional homicide” for their alleged roles in self-immolation protests. Chinese officials have barred Tibetans from offering prayers and showing solidarity with families of self-immolators and announced cancellation of development funds to those villages where self-immolations have taken place.


China vows to stamp out self-immolations in Tibet.  What about you CTA?  The least you could do is not to glorify their deaths.  The Dalai Lama - why didn't you urge Tibetans like you have urged other nationalities in the globe to be compassionate and exercise patience and works towards enlightenment instead of creating violence.  This is the least you can do instead you said you have nothing to offer them and remain silent throughout their horrific and sacrilege deaths.  Why???

[icy]

Another self-immolation in Tibet which makes the number to 124.  What a sacrilege again and again.  Isn't it more sustainable for him to work towards enlightenment to benefit many?  Precious human rebirth go to waste and without much meaning.  Human rebirth is hard to get besides suicide is considered a sin. 

DHARAMSHALA, December 4 - A thirty year old Tibetan man has set himself ablaze in Tibet's Meruma town in Ngaba County on Tuesday, a former political prisoner now living here said. Kunchok Tseten shouted slogans demanding the return of exiled Tibetan leader the Dalai Lama and union of Tibetans inside Tibet and exiles. "Long live Gyalwa Tenzin Gyatso, lets unite our brothers here and those in exile", he shouted before collapsing a few metres away.





Chinese police on routine patrol immediately surrounded him not allowing local Tibetans who were preventing them from taking the charred body away. The police finally took away Kunchok after a few clashes with the police. Tseten's wife Namnang, 28, and a few of his relatives were arrested. A few bystanders involved in manhandling with the police were also arrested.

All businesses in the town were forced to shut down for today as the town wore a deserted look following yesterday's fiery protest by Tseten.

Tseten's brother anticipated this protest. "I can't tolerate the atrocities committed by the Chinese government on us Tibetans, and with all the self immolation by Tibetan brothers and sisters thus far I would one day sacrifice myself by burning myself," his brother recalled Tseten as telling in summer this year.

Tseten lives with his wife and two children, Chakdor Kyab; 4, and Paltsel Kyab; 3.

It is not yet known where Tseten is currently kept or whether he is alive. Tseten became the 124th Tibetan to protest by self immolation since Tapey, a monk of Kirti monastery, set himself ablaze in February 2009.

[icy]

The number of self-immolation in Tibet has reached 125 in a tragic death.

Tibetan monk dies of self immolation in Sangchu




[/img]

DHARAMSHALA, December 19 - A Tibetan monk of Amchok monastery died after he set himself on fire today in Amchok town, Sangchu County (around 2.30 PM local time).

Undated photo of Tsuiltrim Gyatso who died after setting himself ablaze in Amchok town, Sangchu County, Dec. 19, 2013/file
Undated photo of Tsuiltrim Gyatso who died after setting himself ablaze in Amchok town, Sangchu County, Dec. 19, 2013/file
Tsuiltrim Gyatso, aged 43, is confirmed dead, and his body is at Amchok monastery where around 400 monks are conducting prayers as part of the post death rituals for the deceased, a Tibetan source told phayul.

The handwritten note left behind by Tsuiltrim Gyatso


According to the Tibet Times, Tsuiltrim had left behind a handwritten note in Tibetan calling for unity amongst Tibetans, return of the exiled Tibetan leader the Dalai Lama and the release of the jailed Panchen Lama Gendun Choekyi Nyima.

Survived by his aged mother Lhamo Kyi his father Tamdin Tashi died several years back.

Tsuiltrim becomes the 125th Tibetan to set himself on fire to protest the Chinese government since 2009.

[dsiluvu]

Oh dear lord Buddhas... How horrible to see this!

In Buddhism, in Dharma we were taught to cherish our precious human life that is so difficult to get. Yet you see these people who are "suppose" to be Buddhist burning themselves up for their attachments to a piece of land and home? Please can some Buddhist enlighten me how this is all considered "good"?

They are blinded by their attachments and the CTA fuels it further by encouraging them by glorifying each death? Have the CTA and Tibetans gone mad? Definitely you will lose everything once you're extinct... what's there to preserve?

The only way they can ever achieve anything is to become friends with the "enemy". If you really want to create a change, you must first change. With anger and hatred, everything gets destroyed! Be wise not foolish... for nothing is permanent. 

[icy]

DHARAMSHALA, February 6: A Tibetan man yesterday set himself on fire to protest against China’s occupation of Tibet in Dokarmo town, Tsekhok County, Malho prefecture.

Phagmo Samdup, 27-year-old tantric practitioner (Ngagpa) set himself ablaze near Benchen School in Dokarmo town yesterday around 9.30 PM (local time).

According to exile media reports, minutes after his self-immolation protest, Chinese armed forces took away the charred body. However, it is not known where he has been taken or if he is alive or dead, sources say.

Following his self-immolation protest, situation in the region remains tense with the local Chinese authorities deploying large number of armed security forces. The authorities are strictly monitoring all movements and intercepting communication lines, a Tibetan source said.

Since 2009, 126 Tibetans have set themselves on fire in Tibet to protest against China’s occupation of Tibet and its hard-line policies.

[icy]

Ahead of a lengthy two-week tour of the U.S. west coast, the Dalai Lama, the Tibetan spiritual leader, spoke with TIME religion reporter Elizabeth Dias during a wide-ranging, 40-minute interview in Washington D.C. on Wednesday, 19th February.


What would you say to a Tibetan protester who is on the verge of sacrificing himself through self-immolation?

Firstly, this is very, very sad. Human life is very, very precious. This is very, very sensitive political issue. Whatever I say the Chinese hardliners always manipulate. And then, I also retired [several years ago] from political responsibility. So the best thing is to keep quiet.

[icy]

Sacrilege No. 128 and 129.  They all died in vain for Tibetan independance.  Tibetans must be realistic and understand that the Dalai Lama will not be able to return to his homeland this life time.  However, the 15th Dalai Lama will return to Tibet under Chinese rule.  Why not wait for the 15th Dalai Lama and at the same time be on the path to enlightenment to benefit many which is more meaningful than taking your own lives?

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.


Lobsang Palden a monk of Kirti monastery in his early twenties

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).

[wang]

Ahead of a lengthy two-week tour of the U.S. west coast, the Dalai Lama, the Tibetan spiritual leader, spoke with TIME religion reporter Elizabeth Dias during a wide-ranging, 40-minute interview in Washington D.C. on Wednesday, 19th February.


What would you say to a Tibetan protester who is on the verge of sacrificing himself through self-immolation?

Firstly, this is very, very sad. Human life is very, very precious. This is very, very sensitive political issue. Whatever I say the Chinese hardliners always manipulate. And then, I also retired [several years ago] from political responsibility. So the best thing is to keep quiet.

This is an total loss to HHDL!

It means as an spiritual leader, HHDL, facing a guy determined to set himself in fire, would not simply say 'no' to him(what we expect an uneducated village woman would cry out), but recite 'our precious human life' in Lamrim, and let him go.  All because his setting himself in fire is due to an political reason, so he dare not say no....

This is unacceptable!

[Matibhadra]

The evil dalai said:

"I can't ask them [the self-immolators] to act differently

Here the evil dalai makes crystal clear his full support for, and shameless instigation of, self-immolations.

And there are still people who call such a inimaginably cold-hearted, gruesome criminal ”His Holiness”, ”Chenrezig”, and the like!

Not only this, there are even people who propose to cover such realities, so as not to ”tarnish” the image of the bestial assassin!

because I have nothing to offer them”

Specially no Dharma to offer them. This is because, as vow-breaker, he has no lineage, or rather, he does have the lineage of stinking genocidal tyrants, those who fill up the putrid garbage bin of history, which is where he will rotten rather sooner than later.

[icy]

Oh Lord Dorje Shugden, please extend your divine help to these self-immolaters and self-immolaters to be.  Please bestow on them the wisdom to seeing that their sacrifice of their precious human bodies for politics is meaningless and is sinful.  They should instead use their precious human bodies on a zealous path to enlightenment to become beneficial to sentient beings.

Tibetan nun immolates self in Kham Bathang
Phayul[Sunday, March 30, 2014 05:33]

DHARAMSHALA, March 30: A Tibetan nun immolated herself in Tibet’s Bathang County in the traditional Tibetan province of Kham on Saturday around 3PM (Local Time), sources said.

The nun whose self immolation protest took place near Ba Choede monastery was spotted by local Tibetans on their routine circumambulation. The local residents doused the flames and took her to a nearby hospital. Chinese government officials including the police arrived at the hospital and sealed it prohibiting more Tibetans who had gathered at the hospital to enter.

The local Chinese administration immediately stepped up security in and around the county blocking all communication lines including micromessaging apps and monitoring movement of people. “There has been a self immolation protest by a Tibetan nun but due to restrictions immediately imposed the details are not yet known,” a Tibetan member of parliament, Bawa Kelsang Gyaltsen was quoted by the Tibet Times as saying.

This is 130th self immolation protest in Tibet since 2009.

[icy]

Article reveals truth behind Dalai Lama's vague remarks:


BEIJING, May 20 (Xinhua) -- The ambiguous answer by the 14th Dalai Lama to media questions on his role in stopping self-immolation by Tibetans revealed his attempt to sacrifice lives for "Tibet independence," according to a signed Chinese-language article released Tuesday.

"Behind the 14th Dalai Lama's vague words," penned by Qi Xuan, referred to foreign media reports that, during a recent visit to Norway, the 14th Dalai Lama made vague comments such as "this is a very sensitive issue," eschewing a reporter's question on whether he had urged a halt to Tibetans' self-immolations.

Tuesday's article stressed that Tibetan Buddhism clearly opposes killing and suicide, but recent years, especially between September 2012 and the first half of 2013, had seen a string of self-immolations committed by Tibetans in some Tibetan-inhabited areas in the Chinese provinces of Sichuan, Gansu and Qinghai.

Meanwhile, the Dalai Lama clique took advantage of these tragedies, it said, citing a conference held in September 2012 during which the clique honored the self-immolation acts and vowed to set up memorials and funds for victims in a bid to boost the influence of such acts across the world.

According to the article, the clique claimed that self-immolation wouldn't stop unless Tibet became "independent" and the Dalai Lama returned.

"While international society and all kind and righteous people mourned these lost lives, the 14th Dalai Lama publicly touted these victims' passion and courage, stressing the importance of actions rather than prayers," it said.

The Dalai Lama clique was forced into a corner as the Chinese government brought those instigating self-immolations to punishment by the law, and both domestic and overseas people began to realize the truth behind these incidents, the article said.

"Maybe the reporter asked the question initially to pin a medal on the 14th Dalai Lama for stopping self-immolation, but he didn't dare to answer directly," it said. "Because deep in his heart, he wanted to sacrifice grassroots Tibetans, especially those innocent youngsters, for his own political ends."

According to the article, the 14th Dalai Lama also reportedly said that acts of self-immolation, in some cases, were "not entirely wrong," which might be fairly interpreted as saying self-immolation for the sake of "Tibet independence" is right.

"He didn't dare to say more, fearing that the truth would come out," it said.

[icy]

Over a hundred Tibetans died in vain. Wouldn't it be more meaningful and beneficial had their precious human body zealously practised the dharma to become enlightened to benefit numberless beings? To the enlightened beings there is no difference between 'you' and 'I', no 'mine' and 'yours' and space has no boundaries. Hence, there is no 'my Tibet, my country. If only we can understand this concept.

[icy]

In The Hindu's exclusive interview with Dr. Lobsang Sangay, Sikyong or Leader of the self-styled "Tibetan Parliament in-exile", I find the comments on the issue on Tibetan self immolations as cold and heartless.  It is clearly these violent deaths are CTA's propaganda.


What about the future of the Tibetan movement in India…will it stick to non-violence, given the increase in immolations and protests?

Non-violence is an uncompromising part of our way. This will always be our official policy. At the local level, some amount of anger and tension may be expected. But Tibetans in India have always been law-abiding and peaceful. Because India has done the most for Tibetans, so we are eternally grateful. We must remember we are guests, and behave as honourable guests. In China, Tibetans are less than half a percent of the Chinese population….so non-violence isn’t just wise, it is the most logical policy to have. Even when you speak of the self-immolations, not a single Chinese person or property has been harmed. These Tibetans are dying violent deaths, but it is not a violent act, as no one else is hurt.

http://www.thehindu.com/news/tibetan-prime-ministerinexile-speaks-to-suhasini-haider-in-an-exclusive-interview-with-the-hindu/article6393584.ece

[Blueupali]

Ah, the true CTA double speak logic!  It is non-violent if it harms only one person!  Wrong, when does one Buddhist person losing their precious human life not harm all living beings.  I am sorry, it makes me so sad to see these misguided people sacrificing their lives for literally.... nothing.  The Dalai Lama has already sold them out to China, so it is not like they are going to really affect change, but if if they could, as Buddhists, we really don't resort to loosing our precious human rebirth over the independence of our country, or anything else--- not on purpose.  We are Buddhist, we can make our lives meaningful; instead of trying to self-immolate, we could do a long Vajarasattva retreat or other Buddhist practice (like Shugden is good, but I guess these guys don't do Shugden if they are dying in vain for the Dalai Lama who banned our practice).  So it would be better, instead of loosing their life, to please go instead to retreat and practice, dedicating the merit to the purification of the karmas of all living beings; this would help Tibet and everyone else.  Once they are gone, then how will they practice?  We have bad karma in samsara, sometimes.  We are all subject to the karma of birth old age sickness and death until we are liberated, so why not spend the rest of our years (or at least the next few) in solitary retreat--- say the Mani or Vajrasattva for all living beings, don't kill yourself.... it would be so much for beneficial for Tibet and the whole world if anyone who is thinking of self-immolation would chant heartfelt pujas/mantras instead.  Please, Dorje Shugden and Avalokiteshvara, may they stop self-immolating.  (Both Karmapas advise against it--- whichever one you like, just think, Chenresig (Karmapa) said not to self-immolate). http://www.karmapa.org/news/announcement_self_immolations.htm

[icy]

Well said Blueupali, I am in complete agreement with you.  Here's what the Chinese reported of the Dalai Lama in regard to this issue: 

Article reveals truth behind Dalai Lama's vague remarks
(Xinhua)    21:13, May 20, 2014


BEIJING, May 20 -- The ambiguous answer by the 14th Dalai Lama to media questions on his role in stopping self-immolation by Tibetans revealed his attempt to sacrifice lives for "Tibet independence," according to a signed Chinese-language article released Tuesday.

"Behind the 14th Dalai Lama's vague words," penned by Qi Xuan, referred to foreign media reports that, during a recent visit to Norway, the 14th Dalai Lama made vague comments such as "this is a very sensitive issue," eschewing a reporter's question on whether he had urged a halt to Tibetans' self-immolations.
Tuesday's article stressed that Tibetan Buddhism clearly opposes killing and suicide, but recent years, especially between September 2012 and the first half of 2013, had seen a string of self-immolations committed by Tibetans in some Tibetan-inhabited areas in the Chinese provinces of Sichuan, Gansu and Qinghai.
Meanwhile, the Dalai Lama clique took advantage of these tragedies, it said, citing a conference held in September 2012 during which the clique honored the self-immolation acts and vowed to set up memorials and funds for victims in a bid to boost the influence of such acts across the world.

According to the article, the clique claimed that self-immolation wouldn't stop unless Tibet became "independent" and the Dalai Lama returned.

"While international society and all kind and righteous people mourned these lost lives, the 14th Dalai Lama publicly touted these victims' passion and courage, stressing the importance of actions rather than prayers," it said.

The Dalai Lama clique was forced into a corner as the Chinese government brought those instigating self-immolations to punishment by the law, and both domestic and overseas people began to realize the truth behind these incidents, the article said.

"Maybe the reporter asked the question initially to pin a medal on the 14th Dalai Lama for stopping self-immolation, but he didn't dare to answer directly," it said. "Because deep in his heart, he wanted to sacrifice grassroots Tibetans, especially those innocent youngsters, for his own political ends."

According to the article, the 14th Dalai Lama also reportedly said that acts of self-immolation, in some cases, were "not entirely wrong," which might be fairly interpreted as saying self-immolation for the sake of "Tibet independence" is right.

"He didn't dare to say more, fearing that the truth would come out," it said.