Another fiery death in Tsoe city as Tibet self-immolations touch 55

(TibetanReview.net, Oct14, 2012) The grim saga of self-destruction by Tibetans of their mortal existence in Chinese ruled Tibet continues with yet another self-immolation reported from Tsoe (Chinese: Hezuo) City in the Tibetan prefecture of Kanhlo (Chinese: Gannan) in Gansu Province. Tamdin Dorjee, a 52-year-old layman, burned himself to death at around 1:00PM on Oct 13, reported the exile Tibetan administration at Dharamsala on its Tibet.net website Oct 13. AP news agency and several other Tibet related websites have reported similarly.

The man was reported to have carried out his ultimate act of protest against Chinese rule near a stupa located close to Tsoe Monastery and died there. Local Tibetans were reported to have taken his body to his home in Khasok Lhungwarma town rather than acceding to Chinese demands for its handover.

Tamdin was said to be grandfather of the 7th Gungthang Rinpoche, a highly respected Tibetan Buddhist master and the second senior most religious leader at Labrang monastery in Sangchu County of Kanlho prefecture.

Tamdin’s action brings to 55 the number of Tibetans who have staged self-immolation protests in Tibet since China brutally cracked down on the mostly peaceful uprising protests across the Tibetan Plateau in 2008 and followed it up with a series of highly repressive policy measures, including especially at the monasteries.

Tamdin’s is the third self-immolation protest in Tsoe City recently. The others were carried out by a woman named Dolkar Tso, 26, and a father of two named Sangay Gyatso, 27, who set themselves on fire and died on Aug 7 and Oct 6 respectively. The place had witnessed many large-scale Tibetan demonstrations in 1008 and 2010.

Chinese troops were reported to be moving to Tsoe city in the aftermath of the latest self-immolation.