Two More Tibetans Immolate, Toll Reaches 89

CTA: Two more Tibetans have died after setting themselves on fire in separate incidents, taking the total self-immolations to 89, including 27 in November alone.

Bendey Khar, 21, died after setting himself on fire at Tsoe in Kanlho in north-eastern Tibet yesterday (28 November). He called for the return of His Holiness the Dalai Lama to Tibet, the release of all Tibetan political prisoners, freedom of religion and language as well as the protection of Tibet’s fragile environment.

Tsering Namgyal, a 31-year-old father of two, died setting himself on fire near the local government office at Luchu town in Kanlho in north-eastern Tibet today (29 November). He hails from Zamtsa Lotso village of Luchu. He is survived by his parents, his young wife and two infant daughters aged 7 and 3.

Tibetan self-immolators have called for the return of His Holiness the Dalai Lama to Tibet and freedom for Tibetans.

The US ambassador to China, Gary Locke, on 27 November, reiterated his strong concerns about the unprecedented wave of self-immolations in Tibet. He said, “the United States is very concerned about the situation, the heightened tensions in the Tibetan areas, the deplorable self-immolations and of course just the policies of the Chinese government at all levels. And we’re publicly and privately constantly urging the Chinese to re-examine some of their policies that threaten the linguistic identity, the cultural identity, and religious identity of the Tibetan people”.