Tibetan self immolates while Communist Party humiliates the Dalai Lama
November 14, 2012: Nyingkar Tashi, a Tibetan woman of about 25 years, set herself
on fire yesterday afternoon in the city of Dowa (Rebkong county, eastern Tibet). The
woman self immolated during a prayer ceremony for Tamdin Tso, a young mother who also
died from self immolation in the same area on November 7 last year. Before she was
consumed by the flames, Nyingkar Tashi shouted for the freedom of Tibet and the Dalai
Lama.
In the last six days, since the eve of the Congress of the Chinese Communist
Party in Beijing, seven Tibetans have set themselves on fire to challenge the Chinese
oppression of Tibet and demand the return of the Dalai Lama to the country. Since
2011, when many young people began to choose this fatal form of opposing the regime,
at least 70 Tibetans have been killed.
Yesterday, almost simultaneously with
yet another self-immolation, a spokesman for the Chinese Foreign Ministry criticized
the Dalai Lama of wanting to "glorify" the immolations. In fact, the head of Tibetan
Buddhism, who was visiting Tokyo, had criticized Beijing for not understanding the
underlying causes that lead these young people, monks and lay people, to suicide,
and that is the despair about their future and the future of Tibetan culture and religion.
"China
- said the Dalai Lama - does not seriously verify what is happening and tries to put
an end to these incidents only criticizing me as a person." For years, Beijing has
been accusing the Tibetan spiritual leader of stoking hatred and separatism, branding
him a "wolf in sheep's clothing" and "a demon in the guise of an angel."
The
Dalai Lama, who has resigned from all political offices, is appealing for Tibet's
cultural and religious autonomy, but not political, but has always found a strong
opposition to the government in Beijing. Since the beginning of immolations he has
urged young people who commit this act of desperation not to do it because they lose
their lives, and the chance to make a positive contribution to the revival of Tibet.