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Tibet Unrest Gains Momentum

Written by Saransh Sehgal

Tuesday, 14 February 2012

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A Buddhist nun immolates herself

Instability peaks as Beijing cracks down

On Saturday, Feb. 12 an 18-year-old nun named Tenzin Choedron from the Mamae Dechen Choekhorling nunnery set herself afire in China's Sichuan province, shouting protest slogans against the Chinese government before setting herself alight, an exile based rights group said.

With nearly two dozen self-immolations and a series of mass protests in the Himalayan plateau region inside China over the past months, there is growing concern over the possibility of an uprising equivalent to the one that shook Sichuan and Gansu in 2008 when deadly rioting in Tibet’s capital, Lhasa, extended to areas in neighboring provinces. As the tension has grown, China is said to be rushing additional security personnel to the region.

“We worry that more cases of immolation may occur in the coming days as our new year is approaching and the 10th March national uprising day as well, ” said Tsering Tashi, an exiled Tibetan and a member of the Students for a Free Tibet (SFT) group in New Delhi. ”We need the collective voices of the people and leaders of world that can save the lives of the Tibetan people.”

Tenzin Choedron joins 20 other Tibetan Buddhists, mostly monks and nuns and a few lay Tibetans, who have immolated themselves to protest Beijing’s policies in areas like the Ngaba prefecture of China’s Sichuan Province. Before lighting themselves on fire they chanted for Tibetan freedom and the return of their spiritual leader the Dalai Lama, who fled to India during a failed uprising against Chinese rule in 1959. Chinese state media has however described the protests as mob attacks and riots fomented by the exiled leader’s followers.

In a recent press briefing, the Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Weimin said, "We believe that this is a case of a handful of criminals illegally gathering and smashing and looting." He added that the “surprising” promptness with which overseas Tibetan activist groups reported the unrest “showed that they have colluded and premeditated the incidents. The Chinese government will resolutely crack down on any attempt to incite violence or to disrupt national unity and integrity.”

Sichuan has also seen bloody clashes between Tibetan and Chinese forces in recent weeks, partly because of the massive influx of Han Chinese into Tibetan -populated areas.

The Chinese government says it is trying to maintain the Tibetan culture and regularly highlights improved living conditions. In an attempt to calm the situation, the Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao met recently with Gyaltsen Norbu, the Panchen Lama installed by Beijing, pledging “greater” religious freedom and cultural protection in Tibet. "We will place more importance on improving the lives of our Tibetan compatriots, on protecting the... traditions of Tibet... and in preserving the freedom of religious belief of Tibetans," Wen was quoted by Chinese state-owned media.

The Tibet Autonomous Region has earmarked more than 8 billion yuan (US$1.3 billion) for this year to improve the living conditions of farmers and herdsmen in the region. The fund, 68.4 percent bigger than last year's, is to be used for rural infrastructure construction and as agricultural subsidies for Tibetans, according to a statement released by the region's financial department reported in State media.

However, that has done little to quell the unrest. Tenzin Choedron’s suicide occurred only two days after a 19-year-old former monk, Rigzin Dorje from the local Kirti monastery in Aba prefecture of Sichuan, set himself afire. Reports surfaced within the exile community that Rigzin was taken away from the protest site by Chinese security personnel to an undisclosed location. The self-immolation coincided with a call by Tibetan exiles for a worldwide vigil against what they called China's growing cruelty and military build-up in Tibet.

Despite Wen’s conciliatory statement, analysts believe Beijing is giving any relief to Tibetans and that a further clampdown risks more unrest. Dibyesh Anand, an associate professor of International Relations at London's University of Westminster told Asia Sentinel, “The Chinese government has refused to address a single Tibetan concern. In fact, it is hinting toward more hardline policing of dissent. This is a recipe for further aggravation of the cycle of repression and protest.”

“Beijing has made it clear that it has no intention to revisit any of its policies. In fact, there is no evidence of self-reflection on the part of the Chinese government. The overwhelming emphasis is on more of the same - more surveillance, more militarized security, more denunciation of all protestors as separatists, more blaming of the Dalai Lama. This cycle of repression and protest will contribute to a more confrontationist’s Sino-Tibetan politics and make compromises and accommodations more unlikely,” he added.

In Dharamsala, the headquarters of the exiled Tibetan administration and home to the Dalai Lama, more than 1,000 Tibetans united for an afternoon prayer and later led a candlelight vigil. During the event Dr. Lobsang Sangay, prime minister of the self-declared exile government, said: "Tibetans inside Tibet are giving up their lives. They're saying, 'I choose to die.' If the Chinese government thinks the Tibet issue can be solved through violence, intimidation, then it's not going to happen, because the Tibetan spirit is strong."

Regardless of appeals by several countries for a softer stand, the Chinese have called for increased security and told officials to be on the alert for further protest. Certainly Beijing is not taking any chances. China on Feb. 7 warned government officials in Tibet that failing to maintain stability could result in job loss or criminal prosecution. In an announcement it said “those responsible for problems in stability maintenance because they neglect their posts act irresponsibly, abuse power or fail to carry out their duties ... will all be removed from their positions on the spot no matter who they are or what level they are at.”

Although the Dalai Lama has maintained a public silence, Tibet’s third top monk, the exiled 17th Gyalwang Karmapa, Ogyen Trinley Dorje, who also resides in Dharamsala, urged Beijing to confess the human distress of Tibetans and take full responsibility.

“It would lay a wise basis for building mutual trust between Tibetans and the Chinese government,” said the 26-year-old spiritual leader. A statement issued by his office on Feb. 6 said: “As tensions escalate, instead of showing concern and trying to understand the causes of the situation, the Chinese authorities respond with increasing force and oppression. I pray that these sacrifices have not been in vain, but will yield a change in policy that will bring our Tibetan brothers and sisters’ relief.”

Exiles say convoys of Chinese security forces have been seen moving toward Tibet in recent days as the Tibetan New Year approaches on Feb. 22 as well as the Mar. 10 anniversary of the failed 1959 uprising. Exiles fear a Chinese security forces crackdown might result in more lives lost.

The self-immolations, however, may well be a signal to other Tibetans.

“The representation of the recent self-immolations in Tibet as acts of hopeless desperation directed at an uncaring world is wide of the mark,” said Elliot Sperling, an expert on the history of Tibet and Tibetan-Chinese relations at Indiana University in the United States. “It is clear that these acts resonate internally and seem directed at other Tibetans. Those committing self-immolation make appeals to other Tibetans for unity and for a free or independent Tibet. China has responded by ramping up security in many places across the Tibetan Plateau. The Chinese authorities are shifting the responsibility to local officials who risk punishment if they don’t sufficiently suppress protests in their areas. This is likely a formula for repressive overkill on the part of local authorities who fear the consequences should serious protests break out in their areas. China is well aware that this is the tense period that leads up to March 10, the day on which Tibetans commemorate the outbreak in Lhasa of the 1959 uprising against Chinese rule.”

While the separatist acts continue, the only message they send is the unrest that Beijing will have to counter post the Dalai Lama - as things could worsen rapidly and China's rule over the vast Himalayan plateau. Curbing religious freedoms and eroding Tibetan culture and language may well make Tibetans erupt again, something the world does not wish to see.

(Saransh Sehgal can be reached at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it )

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Mr., Lowly rated comment [Show]

Re: Mr.
written by Stephan Ortmann 2, February 15, 2012

Dear stormtrooper, I accept your name refers to the fact that you prefer a Stormtrooper (or may I call it imperialist from the Chinese perspective) mentality to the Tibetan problem, which the Chinese government is pursuing. What is needed, however, is a more careful strategy instead of endless repression or the massive migration of Han Chinese (which seems to me one of the main concerns). The Chinese government should recognize the Tibetan identity as a legitimate one and also not as an inferior identity (which is the heritage of its imperial past). Maybe China could learn from Canada in terms of power sharing, etc. Of course, a serious problem is the unrelenting belief in the dominance of one-party dictatorship which makes any kind of such arrangement difficult at best.
First of all, you allege that self-immolaters could be steered from abroad. That is ridiculous. These are deeply personal decisions that can not be steered from outside. These people truly believe in their actions. That they react to certain events does not mean they are "on cue" but rather deeply involved in the events.
Your attitude is the real reason why the cycle of violence does not end. Imperialism of your sort (saying the Tibetans are "ungrateful" for instance), is the main cause of problem and the Chinese needs to learn this. The same problem also exists with Hong Kong, where the present policy is also raising tensions with the former British colony.

dragongold
written by lawarence, February 15, 2012

From the photo whether is crop or fake or real, this is happen to create chaos of the country. Self immolation is individual thinking and not as whole interest. Just fight against enemy or revenge will never end. Governments had spent and pour tons of money into Tibet, still not satisfied. What had return from there? What else they want? Look outside other counties, even worse than that and keep silent for generation until present. After all these, its influence from other counties to destabilized China. They cause a lot trouble recently, killing innocence (Han) people. They are lucky enough; the majority of Han didn’t attack them. Look again other counties had happened, majority attacked the minority race.

-2

Free Tibet
written by Arul, February 15, 2012

Let "Tibet" to independance, chinese has no right on Tibet, there are too many cultural differences. China a big bully.

Repeating our mistakes
written by citizen2000, February 15, 2012

Whenever Americans bring up Tibetans or Uighurs the Chinese bring up how we treated the Native Americans. They intend to repeat our mistakes. What is our responsibility? We prop up this authoritarian regime with our economic policies and by giving them huge amounts of technology through our universities and corporations. This is not good for the American economy or national security. We must change incentives and laws to slow the flow of tech from America to China. Read more www.china-threat.com

CCP investment.
written by Tim Wang, February 15, 2012

Why the so called "CCP" is not listening to the despairs of Tibetan? Because Tibetan are not Chinese. They don't care why Tibetan self immolation and blindly blame exile Tibetans. Self immolater's are individuals but they are sacrificing they body to a larger cause. China is investing lots money on CCP members, army, police and in infrastructure such as roads and railway in Tibet to to maintain the hardline policy in-order to tap the abundant natural resource reserve and drain away the Tibetan wealth to feed the growing China's economy. The amount of natural resource and wealth China stealing from Tibet surpasses their investment. So why would the CCP care about Tibetan despair? Without this hardline approach China will not be able drain away the resource of Tibet for fee. Keeping the Chinese people in the dark by propaganda towards their own people about the sufferings on Tibetan in Tibet.

...
written by Wahaha, February 15, 2012

Are there human right issues in Tibet ? of course, but Anyone who think this is beacause West care for Tibetans are either political moron or simply try to "TAKE CHINA DOWN".

For example, the author must know the issue in Kashimer, the situation there is definitely not better in any way than that in Tibet. West obviously couldve forced much more on Indian government that on Chinese government. Why do they keep their mouth zipped on Kashimer, huh, Mr.Seghal?

Tibet is the southwest barrier that protects inland China, China simply cant afford letting a pro-west force in Tibet, as it would be like putting your penis in the hand of other people (Tim Wang, is this what you want to see ? that is why you are a "Han Jian"), Just like JFK and American people couldn't allow Soviet Unions putting a missile in Cuba.

You know want ? that is one of the major reasons why lot of Chinese support CCP, because only CCP can hold China together. So enjoy your masturbations, you have done that for over 20 years.

-1

...
written by Wahaha, February 15, 2012

Mr.Ortmann,

Please google "B.C. aboriginals ask China to raise human-rights issues with Harper on PM's visit ".

-1

Mr
written by stormtrooper, February 21, 2012

westerners don't know the history and conflicts between the han and Tibetan...its easy to pontify and accuse Chinese of intolerant, human right abuses etc. perhaps their country and government can show the Chinese a more humane approach...such as if they want to run riot and destroy public properties refrain from using police but send them prostitutes ...make love not war...and give them free chicken dinner because they feel left out as compare to even the poorest han Chinese. this has historic precedent. the oldest Chinese book...I-Ching actually described the flight of the 1st Emperor of the Chou Dynasty from the Tibetan Plateau from who else...and the Tang Emperors have to let the Tibetan carry off their princess as a price for not sacking Changan ...the Chinese princess brought Buddhism to Tibet perhaps that have a calming effect to their wild characters. The mongols under Altai Khan were so fierce his son was declared as one of the earliest Dalai Lama...a Mongol term ...the Han Chinese have always being abused by the west ... and other barbarians...like dome of the commentators has mentioned the Han Chinese have being more civilised and stop racial pogom like what has happened every where in the world...China never have a Hitler and there's never a final solution...perhaps the Han Chinese should stop all the nonsense of promoting equal cultural development as enshrined in their ccp constitution...see their 5 stars red flags...recognising the main ethnic groups of China...Tibetan included...incase some of you have forgotten, the CCP gave Dalai Lama a lot of autonomy when they first entered Tibet...but the Dalai Lama seek to flee Lahsa and tore up whatever agreements he had with the CCP...can you now understand the Chinese press always say The Dalai Lama clique are not to be trusted...there's precedents. westerners please do not talk about differences between provinces, Hong Kong etc...naturally there are lots of provincial differences and even historical and cultural differences...but we all call ourselves Han Ren or Tang Ren...same Chinese writing and culture...thanks to the 1st Emperor. China with a population of 1.3 billion can't adopt the western ideals of respecting individual right

.
written by ., April 17, 2012

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...
written by ci yun mei, August 23, 2012

From : Samnak Sambodhi
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Samnak Sambodhi Desa Jaya

Kindly take notice that reports have been lodged with the Royal Malaysia Police and the Malaysia Communications And Multimedia Commission(MCMC) on 28/7/2012 and 13/8/2012 respectively to investigate the bloggers for criminal defamation without prejudice the right of the Victims to file legalproceedings against the bloggers concern.
Kindly restraint from publishing and/or transmitting such false and malicious allegation to avoid legal proceedings both criminal and civil.
Samnak Sambodhi Desa Jaya