Dharamshala: - A Tibetan man, born in a nomadic family in north-eastern Tibet set himself on fire friday morning, the latest in a series of shocking protests against Chinese rule, media coordinator from India based Kirti monastery, Ven Kanyag Tsering-has told The Tibet Post International.
On August 10, 2012. around 10.15 am, the 24 year old Tibetan man, Chopa set himself alight along the main street of Meuruma township in Ngaba county of north-eastern Tibet (Chinese: Aba Sichuan province), Tsering said in a statement.
Many local government authorities and armed military forces arrived in the town immediately, Tsering said. "They quickly extinguished the flames and took the man away in a security vehicle," the statement said.
His father's name is Palo and his mother's name is Madon. Sources from inside Tibet said "several hundred" armed Chinese police and paramilitary forces being deployed in the area. "People simply disappeared in the township," Eyewitness said, all shops and restaurants in the area remained closed in a show of solidarity.
Currently no further details are available about his current whereabouts and well being, the press statement further added.
"Unfortunately, the latest self-immolator who are severely burned has a little hope to survive, indeed he would not have remained alive long, according to eyewitness," it added.
Nearly 50 Tibetans have set themselves on fire in recent years in Tibet, mostly north-eastern parts of Tibet in protest at repressive policies of communist regime of China. The regime, however, says Tibetans enjoy religious freedom and have benefited from improved living standards brought on by China's economic expansion.
"Over the past three years, nearly 50 people, most of them young Tibetans, have set on fire themselves; the largest self-immolation struggle for freedom in world history," Nyima T.J, a Tibetan political analyst based in India said. "All expressing their desperation over the lack of Human Rights, culture and religious freedom and return of His Holiness the Dalai Lama to Tibet."
"A single self-immolation protest never happened in Tibet history, before the Chinese occupation. The tragedy that should never have happened, if all Tibetan people have equal rights in politics, the economy, and in their daily life. However, Tibetan People must proud China, instead of protest against it, according to China's repeated claims. Unfortunately its still Tibet's only option: self-immolations to express their voices," Nyima T.J. stressed.
