Dharamshala, India: - ?Two Tibetans set themselves on fire near the restive Kirti monastery in eastern Tibet on Friday, January 6, according to sources in Tibet, the 13th such act to hit the occupied areas Amdo region of Tibet in less than a year and both self-immolation Tibetans feared dead. ?
The central Tibetan administration (CTA) has remembered the latest incident and expressed its suddenness to learn of reports of two more cases of self- immolation in Ngaba, eastern Tibet. "The latest incidents, which occurred on January 6, 2012, involve one monk and one layperson,with the latter reportedly having succumbed to his injuries," said in a statement issued on Saturday afternoon.
"The Kashag (cabinet) wishes to reiterate His Holiness the Dalai Lama's statement that as Buddhist, life is precious and thus, he has never encouraged drastic actions inside and outside of Tibet, as he did during the peaceful protests in 2008 and several unto-death hunger strikes in exile," said Dr. Lobsang Sangay's administration.
?The latest self-immolation incidents happened in Ngaba town, eastern Tibet (Ch: Sichuan province's Aba county), to protest against the Chinese government's harsh policy on Tibetans inside Tibet.?
?Nine monks and two nuns have set themselves on fire over the past year in eastern Tibet to protest against the perceived religious repression of Tibetan Buddhists, and that at least seven have died. Another former monk self-immolated in the central Tibet (Ch: Tibet Autonomous Region). ?
?A man - believed to be a lay person -- set himself on fire near Kirti monastery and called for the 'return of His Holiness the Dalai Lama' and shouted slogans such as 'long life His Holiness the Dalai lama, the spiritual leader of Tibet.' The source also said armed Chinese forces extinguished the flames and took him away to an undisclosed location, and his condition is unknown. ?
?The source also said that a second person also set themselves on fire nearby at around the same time on Friday afternoon, and died. ?
?His Holiness the Dalai Lama has said recently that Tibetans faced "cultural genocide" under hardline Chinese policy that forced Tibetans to self-immolate. ?
"The People's Republic of China government is solely to be blamed for these incidents of self-immolation," the Tibetan government stated. "It must take full responsibility and immediately take measures to end these unfortunate incidents by adopting liberal policies for Tibet and Tibetan people," kashag stated.
"Furthermore, the Tibetan administration does not encourage any protests inside Tibet due to the harsh consequences in the hands of the Chinese authorities," CTA added. So far, personal details of both individuals and whereabouts remain unknown. In the last twelve months, there have now been 14 cases of self-immolation.
