Tibet: Self Immolation and Protest Map

Posted Tue, 01/31/2012 - 15:59 by Jigme

Summary of events since 1 January 2012 [Download PDF] [Map - PDF] [Map - jpg]

Overview:
- Ten Tibetans self-immolated. Total of self-immolations now stands at 22 since 2009 (21 since March 2011).

- At least five Tibetans shot dead by Chinese security forces (some reports put this figure as high as ten)

- At least 12 large scale protests have taken place since the beginning of January. Chinese police are known to have opened fire on four separate occasions.

This map marks where protests in 2012 have taken place and locations of self-immolations.

Note: The flow of information out of Tibet has been further stemmed in recent weeks leaving an information blackout as Chinese forces reputedly continue to arrest Tibetan demonstrators. Due to this the number died as a result of shootings cannot be confirmed at present.

Full Summary:
17 February - Dhamchoe Sangpo, 38 year-old monk, self-immolates in Tsongon, Amdo
Dhamchoe Sangpo set light to himself near the grounds of his monastery, Bongthak Ewam Tare Shedrup Dhargey Ling. It is reported that he died shortly after the immolation. Dhamchoe was a teacher at the monastic school and a member of the Democratic Managment Committee; a government controlled body used to control the monasteries. Security at the monastery was tightened in January 2012 after protests against a patriotic re-education programme had been staged.
Dhamchoe's self-immolation is the third protest of this kind to have happened in the Chinese province of Qinghai.

13 February - Lobsang Gyatso, 19, Kirti monk, self-immolates in Ngaba.
Lobsang Gyatso set light to himself at around 2pm in Ngaba town, shouting slogans. He was immediately surrounded, the flames extinguished and removed from the scene. Two other youths near the scene were reportedly beaten; one escaped but the other was taken away. Lobsang Gyatso’s current whereabouts and condition are not known.

11 February - Tenzin Choedron, 18, nun, self-immolates near Ngaba
Tenzin Choedron, an 18-year old nun from Dechen Chokorling nunnery, set light to herself at 6 pm while shouting slogans of protest against the Chinese government. Sources reported that soldiers and police came immediately and took her away. Xinhua later confirmed that she had died. The nunnery was later surrounded by soldiers and sealed off; nothing more is known of the situation inside. Tenzin Choedron was from the same nunnery as Tenzin Wangmo, who self-immolated and died in October 2011.

9 February - Sonam Rabyang self-immolates in Ngaba
Sonam Rabyang, 35, is believed to have set fire to himself in Triwang, the main town of Tridu County. His whereabouts and well being are unknown.

8 February - Rinzin Dorjee self-immolates; Thousands of Tibetans protest in two separate demonstrations
Rinzin Dorjee (also known as Rikpe), 19, a former monk from Kirti Monastery, set fire to himself at No. 2 Primary School in Ngaba town. It is reported that shortly after the incident, security personnel arrived, doused the flames, and took Rikpe to the Ngaba County hospital and then later to a hospital in Barkham.

At least 2,000 Tibetans in different parts of Yushul Prefecture took part in protests despite the intense security crackdown. According to reports Chinese security forces attempted but failed to stop the demonstrations in Nangchen county and Tridu county. Peaceful protesters shouted slogans and carried banners calling for a "free Tibet," the release of all Tibetan political prisoners, and the return of Tibet's spiritual leader the Dalai Lama.

26 January: Fatal shooting; One dead in Dzamthang, Ngaba
Chinese police fired into a crowd killing a 20 year-old student called Ogyen. The crowd were protesting the arrest of a local Tibetan, named Tharpa, who was detained for displaying posters stating that the self-immolation protests were calls for Tibetan freedom and that the self-immolations would continue until authorities met these demands.
Footage of the protest can be viewed at http://www.rfa.org/english/video?param=value&storyId=TibetUnrest2
Source: ICT/FT/TCHRD/RFA
Image of Tharpa is available at https://docs.google.com/leaf?id=0B6q-qWV5wyFQMzgxNmViODQtNzU2MS00NWZkLTk3YjctNDMwZTBiYTZhY2Rk&hl=en_US

25 January: Solo protest in Lhasa
Namkha Gyaltsen, aged 25 from Golog, was arrested near the Barkhor for distributing leaflets that contained slogans for the swift return of His Holiness the Dalai Lama to Tibet and freedom for Tibet.
Source: TCHRD

24 January: Fatal shooting; At least one dead in Serthar, Kardze
Chinese police opened fire on Tibetans gathered in Serthar, Kardze Prefecture, who were shouting slogans calling for the return of His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Tibetan freedom. Reports state that at least one died but possibly up to five. Many more injured.
Sources: ICT (1 dead); TCHRD/FT (2 dead); RFA (5 dead)

23 January: Fatal shootings; Up to three dead in Drango, Kardze
Tibetan protesters are fired on by Chinese security forces after protests take place in Drango, Kardze Prefecture, on first day of Chinese New Year. Reports of up to three Tibetans killed including a Tibetan man named Norpa Yonten, 49, and many more injured. China reported that one Tibetan had died.
Sources: ICT (3 dead); FT (2 dead); TCHRD (at least 1 dead)
Image of Norpa Yonten is available at https://docs.google.com/open?id=0B6q-qWV5wyFQMjA3YTQ3YWMtMTA5Zi00YTdjLWE0OWEtMmFhMzhlMWExODI4

23 January: Protest in Meruma, Ngaba
Monks from the Namtso monastery along with hundreds of laymen, half-naked to their waist, organised a sit-in protest at Meruma Township, Ngaba. Symbolic of Tibetan identity, the protesters were eating traditional Tibetan food Tsampa (roasted barley flour) and reciting the mani prayer. Unconfirmed reports state that many Tibetans were arrested.
Source: Phayul

23 January: Candlelight March in Dzamthang, Ngaba
Over 1,000 Tibetans, both lay and monks, are reported to have held a candlelight march in Dzamthang. Speakers addressed the crowd saying this New Year should be dedicated to mourning those who gave their lives to protest against the Chinese government and there should be no New Year celebration.
Source: TCHRD

22 and 23 January: Protests in Serthar, Kardze
On 22 January there was a protest in near Serthar involving a number of local people calling for the long life of the Dalai Lama and for freedom for Tibetans. The next day Tibetans gathered in Serthar town square and staged a protest. Although police arrived, the protest was dispersed without violence.
Source: ICT

18 and 19 January: Protests in Pema, Golog
About 200 Tibetans gathered protesting against Chinese rule.
Source: RFA

17 January: Protests in Chigdril, Golog
A group of about 10 people protested carrying a banner that reads, “We should struggle for equality and freedom as human beings. We call for democracy, equality, nonviolence, and peace.” There were no reports of any arrests.
Source: RFA

14 January: Self-immolation and shootings in Ngaba
A protest broke out after Chinese forces beat Lobsang Jamyang who had self-immolated. Two Tibetans were shot, one woman in a critical condition, several more injured in the attack and many more protesters beaten.
Sources: ICT, FT
TCHRD reported that one woman died after being hit in the eye with chains.

8 January: Self-immolation, Vigil in Darlag County, Golog
Respected senior monk Golok Lama Sopa (Sonam Wangyal) self-immolated and died. It is reported that local people demanded the return of his body, which had been removed by the police. When they received it they then paraded through town and a large vigil was held.

6 January: Self-immolations in Ngaba
Tsultrim, a lay person and Tennyi, a monk self-immolated and died; Tennyi on 6 January and Tsultrim on 7 January.

Place Names in Chinese: County = Xian in Chinese | TAP = Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture
Ngaba, Amdo (Chinese: Aba TAP, Sichuan)
Dzamthang, Ngaba, Amdo (Chinese: Rangtang County, Aba TAP, Sichuan)
Drango, Kardze, Kham (Chinese: Luhuo County, Ganzi TAP, Sichuan)
Serthar, Kardze, Kham (Chinese: Seda County, Ganzi TAP, Sichuan)
Barkham, Ngaba, Kham (Chinese: Ma'erkang County, Aba TAP, Sichuan)
Pema, Amdo (Chinese: Baima County, Guolo TAP, Qinghai)
Darlag, Golog, Amdo (Dari County, Guolo TAP, Qinghai)

Links to Sources:
International Campaign for Tibet (ICT): http://www.savetibet.org/
Free Tibet (FT): http://freetibet.org/
Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy (TCHRD): http://www.tchrd.org/
Radio Free Asia (RFA): http://www.rfa.org/
Phayul: http://phayul.com/

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Facts about Tibet

Tibet lies at the centre of Asia, with an area of 2.5 million square kilometres (approximately 1 million square miles).

Despite over 50 years of Chinese occupation of Tibet, the Tibetan people refuse to be conquered and subjugated by China.

The Tibetan Plateau is the highest and biggest plateau in the world, so Tibet is referred to as “the roof of the world”.

For Tibetans, the term Tibet means the 3 provinces of U'Tsang, Kham and Amdo, the area traditionally known as Tibet before China's invasion.

The English word Tibet is derived from the Arabic word Tubbat. This word is in turn derived via Persian from the Turkic word Tobad, meaning ‘the heights’.

Tibet was occupied by China in 1949, and the Dalai Lama fled into exile in India in 1959.

Hundreds of thousands of Tibetans have died as a direct result of Chinese occupation since 1949.

There are six million Tibetans in Tibet and roughly 150,000 Tibetans in exile in India and other countries.

Tibetans consider the Dalai Lama to be the temporal as well as spiritual leader of Tibet.

Thousands of Tibetans cross the mighty Himalaya on foot every year into exile, risking death, injuries and arrest.

Most Tibetans are Buddhist, but there are Muslims, Christians and practitioners of Bon, the indigenous religion of Tibet.

In 1948 Tibetan government representatives traveled to the US, UK and France on Tibetan government issued passports.

The exiled Tibetan people elected their first Prime Minister in 2000

In 2008, Tibetans took part in more than 130 separate peaceful protests against the Chinese government across the Tibetan Plateau.

Displaying a photograph of the Dalai Lama in Tibet can result in arrest.

In 1995 the Chinese government abducted the 6 year old Panchen Lama, one of Tibet's most important spiritual leaders. He is still missing.

The longest epic poem in the world is the story of a legendary Tibetan king, Gesar of Ling.

The Tibetan Plateau is the Earth's "Third Pole," providing life-sustaining waters for and regulating weather across south and east Asia.

March 10 is Tibetan National Uprising day. It marks the massive uprising in Tibet in 1959 that led to the escape of the Dalai Lama into exile.

Yak is a Tibetan term for the male of the species. Its female counterpart is called Dri.

Tibetans are denied many of the rights enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, including the right to self- determination, freedom of speech and religion.

Untll 1949 Tibet had its own government that managed its own domestic and foreign affairs; Tibet had its own national flag and its own currency.

According to Amnesty International more than 1,000 Tibetans were unaccounted for after the protests of 2008.

In the Tibetan Lunar Calendar, the year 2009 corresponds to the year 2136, the Year of the Earth Ox.

Prior to the uprisings of 2008, the last major protests by Tibetans against China's occupation of Tibet took place in 1989, when martial law was declared.

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