Immolations Why Tibet and Tibetans Are Burning

8/10/2019 Immolations Why Tibet and Tibetans Are Burning

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Immolations: Why Tibet and Tibetans areBurning

136 Tibetans have self-immolated in a desperate call forfreedom and equality !n in-depth loo" into the origins# acts#and future of these protests

$ithin %oca in International&ne of the greatest tragedies is ta"ing place right no' in Tibet ! country# brutallyoccupied and coloni(ed# 'ith its people suffering in police state li"e conditions# 'hereeven escaping through the mountains to $epal is no longer an option has# for the past)ve years# seen its citi(ens choose to burn themselves and die# in hopes that this 'ill helpbring about change
https://www.the-newshub.com/stories/immolations-why-tibet-and-tibetans-are-burninghttps://www.the-newshub.com/stories/immolations-why-tibet-and-tibetans-are-burninghttps://www.the-newshub.com/nithincocahttps://www.the-newshub.com/stories/latest/internationalhttps://www.the-newshub.com/stories/latest/internationalhttp://www.hrw.org/news/2014/04/01/nepal-increased-pressure-china-threatens-tibetanshttp://www.hrw.org/news/2014/04/01/nepal-increased-pressure-china-threatens-tibetanshttps://www.the-newshub.com/nithincocahttps://lh4.ggpht.com/kBsJiY5NBR0kUnXHZls9v0jhsXJ5G-3Bgj0v92EwMH92rJnjhUcnE6YLSt4qJGk9E6GtQGhGuAxYaX03H5Ri6Wo3=s0-chttps://www.the-newshub.com/nithincocahttps://www.the-newshub.com/stories/latest/internationalhttp://www.hrw.org/news/2014/04/01/nepal-increased-pressure-china-threatens-tibetanshttps://www.the-newshub.com/stories/immolations-why-tibet-and-tibetans-are-burninghttps://www.the-newshub.com/stories/immolations-why-tibet-and-tibetans-are-burning


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Tibet burns# 'hile the 'orld 'atches silently It does not have to be this 'ay

The Tragedy of Tibet

Tibet# a peaceful# independent "ingdom that 'as *overned by an isolationist policy# 'asinvaded and anne+ed by the %hinese ,eople s .iberation !rmy /ust a year after the%ommunist ta"eover of %hina The 'orld# 'eary from World War II and the ongoingcon0ict in orea# paid little attention to the sparsely populated# poor country# 'hich hadfe' ties to the outside 'orld %hinese rule proved to be immediately oppressive# and#'hen in 12 2# massive protests bro"e out against %hinese rule# the army moved in and"illed tens of thousands of people
https://www.studentsforafreetibet.org/about-tibet/uprisingshttps://www.studentsforafreetibet.org/about-tibet/uprisingshttps://www.studentsforafreetibet.org/about-tibet/uprisings


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It 'as then that 4alai .ama# aged 52# 0ed to India# for 'hat 'as hoped to be a temporarystay e has not been bac" in his homeland since The past years has seen the vastma/ority of Tibet s monasteries and temples destroyed# a massive in0u+ of an %hinese#the 4isneyi)cation of .hasa s remaining 'onders for outside tourists# restrictions onTibetan language usage in favor of 7andarin %hinese# and the ability of Tibetans to movefreely 'ithin %hina or abroad 7ean'hile# the 'orld has done little to hold %hinaaccountable for it actions in Tibet 8 instead# they are openly courting %hina as itbecomes a 'orld po'er

While %hina has opened up in the past decades# Tibet has not# remaining closed off toforeign /ournalists# 'ith massive military presence in .hasa and other Tibetan regions Itin this conte+t that the immolations began in 9astern Tibet !mdo province#incorporated into %hina s ;ichuan province in 12


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Who is Burning?

;o far# at least 136 people have self-immolated # 'ith about 2< of them dieing from theiractions The victims have been as young as 1 # 'ith several in their late teens and

t'entiesThin" about that 1 years old If %hina respected the Tibetan people# the fact that youngpeople are choosing to burn themselves rather than live their lives should be a reason formass concern Instead# the *overnment is arresting anyone related to victims familymembers often end up in custody=# erasing their visages from media# and clamping do'non anyone 'ithin the country 'ho dares sho' solidarity 'ith the victims

This response# more than anything# should sho' 'hat %hinese authorities thin" ofTibetans Instead of addressing the grievances of citi(ens# they are demoni(ing victims#

blaming 'hat they call the @4alai clique#A foreign meddlers# and increasing police andmilitary presence in the regions 'here immolations are ta"ing place

Why are they Burning?

!t a glance# immolations seem contradictory to Tibetan Buddhist culture# 'hich sees lifeas sacred There is little# if any# historical basis for immolations or suicides in Tibetanhistory

Thubten ;amphel# the director of Tibet ,olicy Institute# based in 4harmasala# India#home of the Tibetan *overnment in 9+ile# believes that the immolations stem from t'oevents 8 the massive crac"do'n on protests in >


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7essage from 4eath

Though the immolations are a tragedy# there is some beauty there too It is in themessages left behind by most of the immolators# 'hether they be mon"s# students#teachers# or laypeople# that sho' the role of Tibetan culture Cnli"e typical suicide notesleft in developed countries# 'hich sho' anger# depression# or more# these messages arecalling for peace# the return of the 4alai .ama# and hope for their home country

Dor e+ample# this message left by Tibetan Writer *udrub # 'ho set himself on )re on&ctober th

Since China is uninterested in the well being of the Tibetan people, we are sharpening ournonviolent movement. We are declaring the reality of Tibet by burning our own bodies to callfor freedom of Tibet. Higher beings, Please see Tibet. Mother earth, !tend compassion toTibet. "ust world, #phold the truth. The pure land of snow is now tainted with red blood, where
https://www.studentsforafreetibet.org/about-tibet/self-immolationshttps://www.studentsforafreetibet.org/about-tibet/self-immolationshttps://www.studentsforafreetibet.org/about-tibet/self-immolations


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military crac$downs are ceaseless. We as sons and daughters of the %and of Snow will win thebattle. We will win the battle through truth, by shooting the arrows of our lives, by using thebow of our mind.

&ear brothers and sisters of the %and of Snow, please unite together and prioriti'e the wellbeing of all Tibetans by putting aside personal issues. We can only en(oy e)uality and freedomthen.

This is beautiful That *udrub# and hundreds of others# had to burn to ensure 'e sa'their messages for peace and equality is a blac" hole onto our modern 'orld

The Duture

Things 'ill only get 'orse before they get better %hina loo"s set on its policy of 'aitinguntil the 4alai .ama dies# and hoping that this 'ill end tension in the region Thisdisregards the fact that he has called for nothing but peace# and remains# despiteeverything his people have been through# a champion for non-violence Without hismoderating po'er# I fear that Tibet 'ill spiral into the same type of violence 'e are no'seeing from similarly persecuted Cighurs in occupied 9ast Tur"estan %hinese: Ein/iang=

There may be a spar" of hope from the other side of %hina# in ong ong# 'here streetprotests in late >


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eeping ope

;till# in the person 'ho should feel the most hopeless# I )nd the most po'erful messageof optimism for the future The 4alai .ama# 'ho# since 12 2# has 'atched from adistance as his people suffered in Tibet# 'ho has traveled around the 'orld calling forpeace and 'ho# today# is denied visas and high-level meetings due to %hina s gro'ing


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in0uence# still believes that peace 'ill 'in ere is his message to Tibetans# %hinese# andus

The most important thing is that China and Tibet have to live side by side, whether we li$e it ornot. *n order to live harmoniously, in a friendly way, and peacefully in the future, the nationalstruggle through non+violence is very essential.

The ultimate agreement or solution must be found by the Chinese and Tibetans themselves.or that we need support from the Chinese side. * mean from the Chinese people-s side that is

very essential. /s time goes on, more and more Chinese are e!pressing their deep appreciationand their sympathy. Sometimes they still 0nd it dif0cult to support the autonomy of Tibet, butthey appreciate our way of struggle. * consider this to be very precious. *f Tibetans ta$e uparms, then * thin$ we will immediately lose this $ind of support

So you see, the Chinese people are our most valuable allies. What they want+peace the abilityto ma$e a decent living for themselves, their families, and their communities good educationand health care for their children self+government the ability to ma$e the important decisionsthat affect their lives+we want also. When the Chinese people achieve these aims, the Tibetanpeople will also achieve these aims. 1o sooner. So we must promote positive, progressive,peaceful change in China.

.et us all stand 'ith him and all si+ million Tibetans# in memory of the 136 and counting=Tibetans 'ho have immolated themselves in a desperate call for freedom and peace intheir homeland

Tibet 'ill be freeNithin frst got involved in Tibet issues a ter being inspired by the Dalai Lama whenseeing him speak in 2004. e writes about human rights and environmental issues in!sia and writes to spur positive so"ial "hange. #ollow him on Twitter $e%"init

Posted by Thavam
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Immolations Why Tibet and Tibetans Are Burning