Return of His Holiness the Dalai Lama & Freedom

Image of His Holiness the Dalai Lama enthroned in a monastery in Eastern Tibet

 WHAT IS CHINA DOING IN TIBET?

WARNING: This video contains graphic images.

The People's Republic of China invaded Tibet in 1949 and, since then, Tibet has remained under its iron-fisted control.

As of Dec 1, 2012, 90 Tibetans have self-immolated, with one in 2009, 12 in 2011, and 77 in 2012. 28 self-immolations took place this past November alone, with as many as 5 in one day.

SELF-IMMOLATION IS...

...the act of setting one's body on fire as a form of political protest as witnessed in Vietnam, Czechoslovakia and Tunisia.

Do you know this is happening in Tibet?
If you don't, you're not alone. According to TIME Magazine, self-immolation is one of the top underreported news stories of 2011.

Today, Tibetans are reaching out to you.

-Students' Protest Amdo, Tibet 2012-

WHO ARE THESE PEOPLE BURNING THEMSELVES?

They are students, mothers and fathers, monks and nuns, nomads and farmers.

SELF-IMMOLATION IS A COMPLEX ACT. THE QUESTION IS, WHAT COMPELS THEM TO DO IT?

-OCCUPATION OF TIBET BY P.R.CHINA-

POLITICAL REPRESSION
The photos of His Holiness the Dalai Lama are banned and the Chinese Communist Party controls the monasteries.

ECONOMIC MARGINALIZATION
70% of the businesses in Lhasa, the capital city of Tibet, are owned or run by Chinese. 40% of Tibetan high school and college graduates are unemployed.

CULTURAL ASSIMILATION
Tibetan has been removed as the language of instruction and replaced with Mandarin.

ENVIRONMENTAL DESTRUCTION
Over 100 different kinds of minerals are found in Tibet and billions of dollars of mineral resources are exploited.

At the end of 2015, 1.4 million Tibetan nomads will have been forcibly settled.

WHAT ARE THE TIBETANS CALLING FOR?

Return of His Holiness the Dalai Lama and freedom.

THE SELF-IMMOLATORS' LAST WORDS...

"Father, being a Tibetan is so difficult. We can't even say our prayer before the Dalai Lama's portrait. We have no freedom at all..." ~Tenzin, 23 year old herdswoman, mother of a 6 year old boy

"...the Chinese Communist Party arrests and tortures those who demand Tibetan rights. They defame the Dalai Lama and anyone who does not recognize Tibet as part of China will disappear or be assassinated." ~Gudrup, 43 years old, writer

"Tibet has been invaded, repressed and cheated by China. We self-immolated for our misery and lack of basic human rights as well as for world peace."~-Sonam, 24 years old, student

"Dignity is the spirit of a nationality, the courage for justice, the compass leading to future happiness [...] It is the wisdom to distinguish right from wrong." ~Sopa Rinpoche, 42 years old, monk

Ngawang Norphel self-immolated on June 20, 2012
"My people have no freedom of language. Everybody is mixing Tibetan and Chinese... What has happened to my Land of Snow? What has happened to my Land of Snow? ...This [self-immolation] is for the sake of Tibet. If we don't have our freedom, our cultural traditions and language, it would be extremely embarrassing for us. We must therefore learn them..."
Ngawang Norphel died a month after recording this message.

Tibetan Parliament-In-Exile
From the beginning of the self-immolations, the Tibetan leadership has appealed to Tibetans in Tibet not to resort to drastic actions.

Sikyong Lobsang Sangay, democratically elected political head, addressing a Special Tibet Support Groups Meeting, Nov 2012, Dharamsala, India:
"As a human being, we don't want to see anyone die like that, and it is a natural reaction for a human being to say, "Please, don't die like that." That's why the Central Tibetan Administration has made repeated appeals to Tibetans inside Tibet not to resort to drastic actions, including self-immolations, but it persists. Now, as a Tibetan, what do you do? As a Tibetan, you show solidarity, because they are dying for Tibet and for Tibetan people."

DESPITE THE CENTRAL TIBETAN ADMINISTRATION'S REPEATED APPEALS, SELF-IMMOLATIONS PERSIST.

How many more Tibetans must die before the world wakes up and intervenes?

Stand in solidarity with Tibet now.

I STAND IN SOLIDARITY WITH TIBET.

Do you?

Here is what you can do...

Join the Solidarity with Tibet campaign called by Sikyong Lobsang Sangay and the Kashag.

Share this video. FB, Twitter, The Marker, Tapuz...

Visit www.solidaritywithtibet.org

For more information: www.tibet.net

Department of Information and International Relations
Central Tibetan Administration
Dharamsala, India
2012
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As of Jan 27, 2013, 100 (102) Tibetans have self-immolated in Tibet.