The situation in Tibet is intensifying as acts of resistance to Chinese rule and violent reactions by the Chinese state are happening on almost a daily basis. As protests occur all across Tibet, China continues to flood Tibet with troops while blocking journalists, phone and internet lines in an attempt to hide their crackdowns and a spate of fatal shootings from the outside world.
Across the world, Tibetans and supporters are doing what Tibetans in Tibet are calling for; uniting to demand an end to China’s brutal rule. 25 Tibetans are thought to have set themselves on fire in protest in Tibet in the last year alone.
As we move into the traditionally restive spring period in Tibet, acts of defiance are becoming a daily occurance, and the Chinese state’s attempts to hide it’s brutal occupation are being put under serious pressure. On 11th February, news came in that another Tibetan, 18-year-old nun Tenzin Choedron, set herself on fire in Ngaba in protest against Chinese rule. She was detained by Chinese soldiers but reportedly died later. On 13th February 19-year-old Losang Gyatso also self-immolated in Ngaba, was beaten by police and arrested; his whereabouts and wellbeing unknown. 40-year-old former monk Damchoe Sangpo set himself on fire in protest on 17th February and 18-year-old Nadrol of Amdo died after setting himself on fire on 19th February, meaning at least 26 Tibetans have now set themselves on fire in protest, 25 in the last 11 months alone. Tenzin Choedron was from Dechen Choekorling nunnery, the same nunnery as Tenzin Wangmo, who died after setting herself on fire in 2011. A witness said “After (the incident) soldiers surrounded the nunnery and sealed it off, and nothing more is known of the situation inside.”19-year-old former monk Rinzin Dorjee from Ngaba and 30-year-old monk Sonam Rabyang from Tridu County apparently survived setting themselves alight earlier this month. The latter occured after thousands staged a protest in Trindu on 8th February.
Tenzin Choedron and Tenzin Wangmo
These incidents illustrate yet again the worsening of the situation in Tibet, which has been characterised by mass protests by Tibetans all across Tibet, indiscriminate killing of Tibetans by Chinese security forces and the continuation of the self-immolations as young Tibetans with their lives ahead of them are driven to make this ultimate sacrifice to draw attention to what is happening in their country.
In response, the Chinese state has effectively declared war on Tibetan protesters, with Deputy Party Secretary of the so-called ‘Tibetan Autonomous Region’ Hao Peng saying on 11th February, “War and force is must to keep the security in the Tibetan regions… security officials should not take holiday during the upcoming the Tibetan New Year, and must be ready to shut down the Dalai Lama groups.” Since then, there have been reports of government buildings being set on fire in Nangdo in Dege County and Zame in Kardze, though no injuries or deaths have been reported and further information is not known.
The BBC’s Damien Grammaticus’ experiences reporting from Tibet this February
Chinese security forces opened fire on unarmed Tibetans in three seperate occasions in late January, killing at least six and wounding many more. Graphic photos of the wounded and some of those killed have been shared, as has evidence the huge military build-up in Tibet. But as more evidence emerges of the truth about the crisis in Tibet, the Chinese state’s propaganda claims of ‘harmony’ and ‘prosperity’ in the region are looking more and more farcical. The Chinese state has even sacked some of it’s senior representatives in Tibet in February, indicating that it is not happy about the way in which the Tibetan people are finding more brave new ways to both challenge state control and get evidence of the reality on the ground in Tibet to the outside world while maintaining it’s heavy handed approach to “prepare for war against secessionist sabotage”.
Tibetans in Tibet are taking the lead, and with the traditionally restive spring period fast approaching, it’s more important than ever that we help them expose what’s happening in their country and demand that world governments take a unified stand against China’s backward approach to resistance in Tibet. And as foreign journalists attempt to report from the area, China is pushing them out; their only way of dealing with Tibetans’ demands for freedom being to attempt to hide what’s really happening.
Protests in Nangchen, Jyekundo on February 8th
There have now been 22 cases of self-immolation since Phuntsok of Kirti monastery died after setting himself alight on March 16th 2011. Prior to 2011, there had only been known case of self-immolation during over 60 years of Chinese occupation. Phuntsok was beaten by Chinese security forces after the fire was extinguished; a reaction which has been repeated throughout the past year, while authorities have arrested self-immolating Tibetans, refused to surrender bodies of the dead to families for funerals and prevented friends and relatives from paying their respects, further antagonising what is already a tense situation, especially in Eastern Tibet.
At least 13 of those who have self-immolated have died, and the most senior monk to so, Sopa Rinpoche, expressed what an increasing number of Tibetans are saying in a note and audio recording he made before setting himself alight, saying “Tibetans should not lose their determination. The day of happiness will come for sure. For the Dalai Lama to live long, the Tibetans should not lose track of their path”.
Yonten, shot dead by Chinese troops, and Sopa Rinpoche; both died in January 2012
The self-immolations are difficult for some to understand; it’s hard for people living in free societies to imagine how terrible things must be in Tibet that peaceful, upstanding members of society with so much life ahead of them are driven to undertake these acts. But rather than seriously and progressively address the greivances of the Tibetan people as any truly developed nation would, the Chinese state is doing what it does best; cracking down with an iron fist. As China faces criticism for supporting regimes like Syria, Zimbabwe, North Korea and Gaddafi’s Libya, it’s showing exactly why it does so in occupied Tibet; China has a lot in common with these oppressive regimes, and is as afraid of resistance as the bloodthirsty dictators which it props up across the globe.
As the number of troops in Tibet has been stepped up, so have the acts of violence against unarmed Tibetans. In three instances in late January, Chinese troops opened fire on crowds of peaceful protesters, killing at least six and wounding many more. On 9th February, reports confirmed that the troops didn’t stop at just opening fire indiscriminately; two Tibetan brothers who had survived the shooting in Drago on 23rd January, one of whom had been injured with a gunshot, were later hunted down by Chinese forces, cornered and shot dead. Again, China has shown that these violent incidents are not just one-offs and are not conducted by a couple of irresponsible officers- they are part of a premeditated, deliberate state policy of killing Tibetans who they feel pose a threat to China’s oppresive rule.
The brothers Yeshe Rigsal and Yeshe Samdrub, shot dead this year
But this has not deterred Tibetans from standing up for their country and for their rights. On 8th February, a day when Tibetans and supporters worldwide took part in vigils at Chinese Embassies and consulates to demand an end to China’s oppression, there were reports of massive protests in Golok and Nangchen. In a protest which took place in Jyekundo on 8th February, some 1,400 Tibetans called for human rights and freedoms, including language rights, for the Dalai Lama to return to Tibet and for political prisoners such as the Panchen Lama, aged just six when he was detained in 1995, to be released. The reality is that China has not changed since 1995, or even since the CCP took power; it’s the same old reactive, paranoid state which opened fire on unarmed protesters in the Tiananmen Square massacre, which waged war against free expression in the cultural revolution and which extended its colonial borders to seize vast swathes of land and mineral resources when it invaded Tibet in the first place. China has not changed, but Tibetan resistance has. Unlike the CCP, Tibetan resistance has evolved, diversified and is gaining support.
London and Edinburgh solidarity vigils on 8th February
On 8th February, vigils took place at Chinese Embassies and Consulates across the world as Tibetans and supporters used their rights and freedoms to demand that Tibetans inside Tibet be given the same. There is a growing call for solid multi-lateral action on Tibet from world governments, with the US making encouraging comments about human rights and freedoms, continuing to challenge the Chinese state’s approach to Tibetan dissent. We’re pushing for the UK, as another country which holds these rights dear, to join them and demand that China ends its brutality in Tibet. SFT UK’s Director Pema Yoko met UK Foreign Office Minister Jeremy Browne in January, who expressed his concern, saying “I am deeply concerned at reports that Chinese security forces have fired upon protesters on two occasions in Tibetan areas of Sichuan, resulting in casualties. I urge the Chinese government to exercise restraint, to release full details of the incidents, and to work to resolve the underlying grievances.”
shocking photos of Chinese brutality in Tibet continue to filter through, showing a huge military presence in Tibetan area, beatings being carried out on unnarmed Tibetans in Serthar on 24th January and victims sporting gunshot wounds.
But the pressure has to continue. Tibetans in Tibet have amplified and sustained their resistance over the past year. With Tibetan new year, Uprising Day and the anniversaries of last year’s self-immolations coming up, Tibetan resistance is no longer confined to isolated incidents. It’s a true resistance movement, characterised not only by protests and defiance through maintaining Tibetan cultural traditions in the face of China’s attempts to demolish then Tibetan identity, but in acts of civil disobedience, all of which Tibetans in Tibet are leading.
Urgyen, another young Tibetan shot dead by Chinese forces this year when he protested against the arrest of his friend Tharpa, who had pasted leaflets calling for Tibet’s freedom
You can help us stand with Tibetans in Tibet by taking the following actions
1. Call your MP (or if you already have, make a follow up call) to alert them to the growing crisis in Tibet and ask for their support. Contact your MP here.
If you’ve already called your representatives, please call again to update them on the most recent protests, shootings and self-immolations. Please follow up your call with a thank you email and an update of new cases of state brutality in Tibet.
2. Call the UK Embassy in China (during the morning or daytime) to express your concern and request them to take action. Contact information can be found here. Ask them to contact the Chinese authorities urgently to seek further details about the recent protests and shootings, including details of casualties and detainees, and to obtain assurances that medical treatment has been provided to all who need it, urge them to request permission to visit Ngaba, Golog, Draggo, Dzamtang and other affected regions and to press the Chinese government to respect the right of Tibetans to peaceful protest.
3. Call the Chinese government offices in Ngaba, Golog, Draggo, Dzamtang and Jyekundo (during the morning or daytime) to alert them to the fact that the world is watching the situation in Tibet with great concern. List of contacts here.
4. Join the Solidarity Vigil taking place every Wednesday from 6pm at the Chinese Embassy, Portland Place, London W1B 1JL, near Great Portland Street or Warren Street tube. Invite people to the Facebook event.
5. Come to the Tibetan New Year (Losar) protest at the Chinese Embassy on 22nd January and share the Facebook event.
6. Take part in the mass lobby for Tibet on 7th March and the annual Uprising Day protest march on March 10th, both in central London. More information on the march soon; for details on how to lobby, please contact liam@sftuk.org.
7. Sign and share the Enough! petition for Global Intervention to Save Tibetan Lives and help reach 1 million signatures for Avaaz petition. Now is a critical time to get as many people, including influential figures to sign the pledge to stand up for Tibet.
CNN are prevented from reporting in January
With every piece of news coming out of Tibet, with every protest, with every crackdown, with every shooting and with every self-immolation, the world becomes clearer about the true situation in Tibet. China is losing control. The propaganda hasn’t worked. The military build-up hasn’t worked. The oppression of monasteries, of nomads, of the arts and of Tibetans who demand to once again rule their own nation hasn’t worked. Tibetans are leading this movement from within and we are with them.
SFT UK is run mainly by volunteers who use our own resources. You can help us grow by joining the rangzen circle to help us campaign not just now but all year, every year until Tibet is free.
