2011-11-03
In the 11th self immolation this year, a Tibetan woman succumbs to her burns.
Undated photo of Palden Choetso at her nunnery.
A second Tibetan nun burned herself to death Thursday, protesting against Chinese rule and calling for the return of the Dalai Lama, the Tibetan government-in-exile said.
The 35-year-old nun, identified as Palden Choetso or Choesang, is the 11th Tibetan to self immolate this year amid a crackdown on monasteries and harassment of monks by Chinese authorities.
Choesang, from the Jangchup Choeling nunnery in Tawu (in Chinese, Daofu) county in Sichuan province's Kardze (in Chinese, Ganzi) prefecture, set herself on fire while chanting “Long live His Holiness the Dalai Lama," “Free Tibet” and “Let His Holiness return to Tibet” at a public prayer session, the India-based Central Tibetan Administration said in a statement.
"She has succumbed while committing the selfless act and her body was taken away to nearby Nyitso monastery by the witnesses," it said.
Citing reports, the statement said that Chinese security forces have surrounded the monastery in an attempt to "suppress the information."
The monks at the monastery have refused to part with Choesang’s body as demanded by the Chinese authorities, other reports said.
The local government has launched an investigation, China's state Xinhua news agency said.
Threat
Most of the self immolations have occurred in Sichuan province, especially in the Ngaba (in Chinese, Aba) prefecture.
But Kardze has been the scene of repeated Tibetan protests, both by individuals and by small groups, despite the threat of detentions and violent assaults against protesters by Chinese police.
Chinese authorities have blamed Tibet's spiritual leader the Dalai Lama, who is living in exile in India, for the tense situation, saying he is encouraging the self-immolations, which run contrary to Buddhist teachings.
But the Dalai Lama shot back, blaming China's "ruthless and illogical" policy towards Tibet.
He called on the Chinese government to change its "repressive" policies in Tibet, citing the crackdown on monasteries and policies curtailing use of the Tibetan language.
Tensions in the Tibet Autonomous Region and in Tibetan-populated areas in China's provinces have not subsided since anti-China riots swept through the Tibetan Plateau in March 2008.
Lobsang Sangay, the head of the Central Tibetan Administration, said at the National Press Club in Washington on Wednesday that the government in exile did not encourage Tibetans in China to protest, including burning themselves.
This, he said, was because of the consequences they faced in the hands of the Chinese authorities, including alleged torture and the prospect of death.
Reported by RFA's Tibetan service. Translation by Karma Dorjee. Written in English by Parameswaran Ponnudurai.
The 35-year-old nun, identified as Palden Choetso or Choesang, is the 11th Tibetan to self immolate this year amid a crackdown on monasteries and harassment of monks by Chinese authorities.
Choesang, from the Jangchup Choeling nunnery in Tawu (in Chinese, Daofu) county in Sichuan province's Kardze (in Chinese, Ganzi) prefecture, set herself on fire while chanting “Long live His Holiness the Dalai Lama," “Free Tibet” and “Let His Holiness return to Tibet” at a public prayer session, the India-based Central Tibetan Administration said in a statement.
"She has succumbed while committing the selfless act and her body was taken away to nearby Nyitso monastery by the witnesses," it said.
Citing reports, the statement said that Chinese security forces have surrounded the monastery in an attempt to "suppress the information."
The monks at the monastery have refused to part with Choesang’s body as demanded by the Chinese authorities, other reports said.
The local government has launched an investigation, China's state Xinhua news agency said.
Threat
Most of the self immolations have occurred in Sichuan province, especially in the Ngaba (in Chinese, Aba) prefecture.
But Kardze has been the scene of repeated Tibetan protests, both by individuals and by small groups, despite the threat of detentions and violent assaults against protesters by Chinese police.
Chinese authorities have blamed Tibet's spiritual leader the Dalai Lama, who is living in exile in India, for the tense situation, saying he is encouraging the self-immolations, which run contrary to Buddhist teachings.
But the Dalai Lama shot back, blaming China's "ruthless and illogical" policy towards Tibet.
He called on the Chinese government to change its "repressive" policies in Tibet, citing the crackdown on monasteries and policies curtailing use of the Tibetan language.
Tensions in the Tibet Autonomous Region and in Tibetan-populated areas in China's provinces have not subsided since anti-China riots swept through the Tibetan Plateau in March 2008.
Lobsang Sangay, the head of the Central Tibetan Administration, said at the National Press Club in Washington on Wednesday that the government in exile did not encourage Tibetans in China to protest, including burning themselves.
This, he said, was because of the consequences they faced in the hands of the Chinese authorities, including alleged torture and the prospect of death.
Reported by RFA's Tibetan service. Translation by Karma Dorjee. Written in English by Parameswaran Ponnudurai.
No comments:
Post a Comment