Breaking: Tibet continues to burn, Tibetan man set self on fire

Burning body of Kalsang Kyab, 24, who set himself on fire in front of a Chinese government office in Kangtsa region of Ngaba, eastern Tibet on November 27, 2012. The alarming escalation in self-immolation protests in Tibet shows no signs of abating as yet another Tibetan set himself on fire today in Ngaba region of eastern Tibet. Kalsang Kyab, 24, set himself ablaze in front of a Chinese government office in Kangtsa town, raising slogans for the long life of His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Kyabje Kirti Rinpoche, the exiled head of Kirti Monastery. He passed away at the site of his protest. The Dharamshala based Kirit Monastery in a late night release said Kalsang Kyab carried out his protest at around 6:30 pm (local time). “Kalsang Kyab doused his body with kerosene as he walked towards the local government office building, raising slogans,” Kirit Monastery said citing sources in the region. “Upon reaching the office building, he then set himself ablaze and continued to raise slogans.” Shortly afterwards, local Tibetans carried his charred body to his native village, Dowa Mege. At the time of filing this report, monks from two nearby monasteries are reportedly leading a prayer service for the deceased. Kalsang Kyab left his nomadic pastures yesterday and arrived at his native village. Early this morning he came to Kangtsa town, some 3kms away, to carry out his self-immolation protest. “Soon after the protest, Chinese security personnel arrived in large numbers in Kangtsa town and have thrown a tight security cordon in the region,” Kirti Monastery said. Monks and local Tibetans offering prayers for Kalsang Kyab, who passed away in his self-immolation protest in Kangtsa region of Ngaba, eastern Tibet on November 27, 2012. Kalsang Kyab is survived by his parents and six siblings. Described as gentle natured and a man of few words, he never attended school. The deepening crisis inside Tibet has witnessed large scale anti-China protests and a series of self-immolations that has now seen 86 Tibetans set themselves on fire, since 2009, demanding freedom and the return of the Dalai Lama from exile. November alone has reported 24 self-immolations and protests by thousands of Tibetans, including by school students in Chabcha and in Rebkong. The exile Tibetan administration, earlier this month appealed to the United Nations Human Rights Council to convene a Special Session on Tibet in view of the “desperate and unprecedented spate of self-immolations by Tibetans due to China’s repressive policies and the continued intransigence of the Chinese leadership to the relentless efforts of UNHRC.” The appeal came a day after the UN rights chief Navi Pillay urged China to “promptly address the longstanding grievances that have led to an alarming escalation in desperate forms of protest, including self-immolations, in Tibetan areas.”