Dharamshala/New York: - The most comprehensive footage of protests in Tibet this year, including images of Palden Choetso, a 35-year-old nun from Geden Choeling Nunnery in Tawu, eastern Tibet, who died after setting herself on fire on November 3, has been obtained from sources in Tibet.
One sequence shows Choetso standing upright as flames engulf her body. Other footage includes: Tibetans' response to the self-immolation, including nuns protesting and chanting, "Freedom to Tibet"; thousands of Tibetans at a candlelight vigil early on the morning of Choetso's funeral; Chinese security forces converging on Nyitso Monastery.
In the past eight months, eleven Tibetans have self-immolated, in an unprecedented wave of protest against China's clampdown in eastern Tibet.
"This footage confirms reports that 10,000 Tibetans gathered at Tawu's Nyitso monastery in a mass outpouring of support and prayers for Palden Choetso," said Tawu Lobsang Jinpa, a former political prisoner from Tawu who escaped to India last February.
"Her ultimate act of non-violent protest galvanized the entire community to openly and publicly offer their respects and solidarity, in spite of China's military clampdown in the region.
"In Tawu, the crackdown continues although many Chinese soldiers are patrolling the town in civilian clothes to stop the world from seeing these images.
"Surveillance cameras have been installed around the monastery to monitor the monks' every move."
Tenzin Dorjee, executive director of Students for a Free Tibet, commented, "This is an extremely difficult time for Tibetans everywhere. This footage shows not only the desperation but also the determination of Tibetans to fight for their freedom at any cost.
"We fear the situation will continue to escalate and more Tibetan lives will be lost if the Chinese government does not lift its repressive measures and commit to a just and lasting resolution to this spiralling crisis in Tibet."
Tibetan sources report that, following her self-immolation, Palden Choetso's body was taken to Nyitso Monastery. Her funeral was held early on the morning on November 6.
Tawu town is located in Kardze prefecture , in the Tibetan province of Kham (annexed by China into Sichuan and Yunnan provinces after 1965). It is an area long known for actively resisting Chinese rule.
Following the widespread protests in Tibet in 2008, Chinese forces have been stationed in and around Tawu town.
"We urge world leaders to respond to the crisis in Tawu immediately with bold multilateral pressure on the Chinese government," said Tenzin Jigdal, program director of Students for a Free Tibet India.
"The Tibetans in these videos have risked everything to have their voices heard. Their actions must be a wake-up call that China's repression will only stop if the world intervenes now."
Editorial: The Tibet Post International (TPI) believes it is generally against media ethics to publish or link to any image which shows human death, especially when the deceased may be considered, for whatever reason, to have lost their human dignity.
However, given Palden Choetso's apparent motive for her self-immolation, and the urgent need for the international community to understand and act upon the desperation of the current situation in Tibet, TPI has published the links below.
TPI believes that no human death which does not occur due to natural biological causes should be considered normal and that, therefore, images of such deaths should never become normalised.
We are aware that there are people in this world who take pleasure or satisfaction, for whatever reason, in viewing such images and disseminating them as 'entertainment' on video-sharing websites.
We therefore request that, if you decide to view the footage of Choetso's death, you do so with a sense of caution, reflection and compassion.
We also request that any other media organisation which publishes such footage considers the issues involved in doing so.
To view the footage, follow these links:
Compilation, low resolution: Click here
Compilation, high resolution: Click here
Palden Choetso's self-immolation (short clip): Click here.
Palden Choetso's self-immolation (long clip):
Click here.
Protest by nuns from Geden Choeling Nunnery on the main road into Tawu town, following the self-immolation (sources in Tawu say 300 nuns joined the protest march):
Click here.
Candlelight vigil by an estimated 10,000 people, early in the morning of Palden Choetso's funeral: Click here.
Khata offering, prayer ceremony and candlight vigil: Click here.
Monks from Nyitso Monastery conducting prayers for Palden Choetso: Click here.
We have also received video footage of monks preparing Palden Choetso's funeral as Chinese security forces arrive at the monastery.
However, the footage contains clear images of some of the monks' faces, and we are therefore unable to link to the video, in case this were to lead to the identification and arrest of the monks by the Chinese authorities.
