Dharamshala: On October 4, 2013, a prayer service was held for the Tibetan self-immolator Shichung at the main Tibetan temple in Dharamshala, India.
Shichung, a 41-year-old father of two children, died on September 28 after setting himself on fire at outside of his home and ran about 40 steps towards the main road shouting slogans against the Chinese repressive policies in Tibet.
Addressing at the gathering, Sikyong Dr Lobsang Sangay spoke 'about the continued repression of Tibetan people by Chinese authorities in Tibet.' He expressed his condolences to the family of Shichung and all the other Tibetan self-immolators.'
According to the CTA. 'Sikyong also aired his disapproval of high-handedness by Chinese authorities while dealing with peaceful Tibetan protesters.'
The prayer service organised by the Department of Religion and Culture of the Central Tibetan Administration was presided over by Tromthok Rinpoche, abbot of Namgyal monastery.
Over hundred Tibetans, including monks, nuns, supporters, and the heads of the three pillars of Tibetan democracy were attended the prayer gathering as a mark of respect and solidarity with all those Tibetans who set themselves on fire for the just cause of Tibet.
Shichung who died in the latest self-immolation to protest Chinese rule in Tibet had told many of his friends few days before his protest that "the Chinese would not let us live".
Soon after the incident, the Beijing has deployed heavy security forces in the area and imposed severe restrictions.
The burning protest by Shichung brought to 121 the total number of self-immolations since the wave of burnings began in 2009 in protest against Chinese repressive rule and of them 104 were reportedly passed-away from their severe burn injuries.
The Tibetan self-immolation protesters called for freedom for Tibetan people and the return of their spiritual leader His Holiness the Dalai Lama to Tibet to Tibet.
In 2013 alone, 23 Tibetans set themselves on fire to protest against China to end its government's hardline policies against Tibet and the Tibetan people.
The Central Tibetan Administration said the Chinese government's continued occupation of Tibet and policies of political repression, cultural assimilation economic marginalisation, environmental destruction are solely responsible for pushing Tibetans to take drastic forms of protests, including self-immolations.
