Two Tibetan teenagers burn selves to death

Tibetan self-immolator Rinchen, 17, in an undated photo. February 20: Two Tibetan teenagers set themselves on fire in Kyangtsa region of Zoege, eastern Tibet on February 19, protesting China’s continued occupation and repressive policies in Tibet. Rinchen, 17 and Sonam Dhargey, 18 have succumbed to their burns. According to the exile base of Kirti Monastery in Dharamshala, the two teenagers carried out their fiery protest at around 9:30 pm (local time) yesterday. “It is not currently known what slogans they raised during the protest,” Kirti Monastery in a release said. “The families of the two teenagers are in possession of their bodies and are hoping to carry out their final rites without any interference from the Chinese authorities.” Rinchen's parents are Dhondup Tsering and late Aadon. Sonam Dhargye's parents are Tsering Dhondup and Takho. Confirming the reports, the Dharamshala based Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy today said both Rinchen and Sonam Dhargye attended the local primary school in Kyangtsa. “After finishing his primary school, Rinchen attended another school in Wenchuan for a few years and moved to Qinghai, where he worked,” TCHRD said. “At the time of self-immolation, Rinchen was on his Losar (New Year) holiday visiting his family in Kyangtsa.” With the latest self-immolations, as many as 104 known Tibetans living under China’s rule have now set themselves on fire demanding freedom and the return of the Dalai Lama from exile. Eight fiery protests have already taken place inside Tibet since the beginning of the new year, in addition to Tibetan monk Drupchen Tsering's self-immolation protest in Kathmandu, Nepal on February 13. The global rights group Human Rights Watch earlier this month said the self-immolations in Tibet are taking place in the context of the Chinese government’s "long-standing repressive policies in the Tibetan areas that have seen severe restrictions on Tibetans’ rights.” “To date there has still been no concerted effort from the Chinese government to address the underlying grievances in Tibet, which have contributed to the rising number of self-immolations by Tibetans,” HRW said.

Body of Tibetan self-immolator still with Nepali authorities

Tibetan self-immolator Drupchen Tsering in an undated photo. February 16: The body of the Tibetan monk who set himself on fire in the Nepalese capital of Kathmandu on February 13 has still not been handed over to Tibetan representatives. Our sources in the city say that Nepalese authorities, acting under the influence of China, have been creating unnecessary obstacles in the process of handing over the body. “This is just like what is happening in China occupied Tibet where the Chinese officials bundle away the bodies of Tibetan self-immolators and carry out cremations in secrecy,” a local Tibetan activist who didn’t want to be named told Phayul. “However, concerned people are still talking with authorities and we hope that Nepali officials will respect the sacrifice of the Tibetan monk and handover the body for cremation.” Earlier, the Tibetan monk was identified as Drupchen Tsering (Druptse), a 25-yea-old monk native of Gyalchung village in Nupsur town of Serta, eastern Tibet. Druptse recently escaped from Tibet and arrived in Nepal in January this year. He was staying at the Tibetan Reception Centre in Kathmandu since his arrival according to Dharamshala based Tibetan news portal Tibet Express. Banners put in Boudha, Kathmandu. “He had earlier told his friends and relatives that he had not been able to do anything for the Tibetan cause in the past but promised to do something constructive for the Tibetan people in the future,” Tibet Express cited sources in Tibet as saying. Druptse had reportedly wrapped his body with a metal wire and doused his body with gasoline before setting himself ablaze in the morning of February 13 near the holy Boudhanath stupa in the heart of the city. He passed away at around 10:30 pm (local time) same day after suffering 96 per cent burns. Druptse is survived by his mother Tselha and father Sangnag Tenzin, who is a reincarnated lama. Nepalese police have since increased restrictions in Tibetan areas in the city. Further aggravating the situation, banners under the name of “Locals and Youth of Boudha” have appeared near the protest site, warning that such acts will “make life even harder” for Tibetans. Calling the self-immolation a “hideous and sinful” act motivated by “dirty politics,” the banner announces: “No more Free Tibet in our holy land.” “The soul of the victim will rot in hell … You want blood, we give you war,” further reads the banner.