Dharamshala, July 17: A teen-aged Tibetan monk died today after setting himself on fire to protest against China in Barkham County in Ngaba Tibet Autonomous Prefecture in Qinghai Province.
The 18 year old monk identified as Lobsang Lozin, of Gyalrong Tsodun Kirti Monastery, set his body on fire near the monastery’s main prayer hall around noon and walked in the direction of the County’s local authority office engulfed in flame and died of the burns immediately, sources told exile groups.
While engulfed in flames, sources said, Lozin was heard chanting some slogans which can’t be clearly understood. His charred body was immediately taken into the possession of the fellow monks of the monastery where prayers are being held.
Sources also said anger are rife in the area and expressed fears of further tension as the local Tibetan population have gathered in strength to stand guard at the County’s main entry point to prevent the Chinese security officials from coming to the self-immolation site.
Lozin, son of Jorgey and Tse Popo, had joined the monkhood at an early age and was described as “a well-behaved and a bright student” in his class.
In March this year, two other monks of Gyalrong Tsodun Kirti Monastery, situated 85 kms north of Barkham County, set themselves on fire and died in protest against China’s harsh rule and restriction on the religious freedom. The monastery has more than 300 monks, according to sources.
Lozin is the 44th Tibetan inside Tibet to join the wave of unprecedented self-immolation protest since 2009, an act described by exile groups as an expression of longing for freedom and the return of their exile spiritual leader Dalai Lama.
The spiritual leader, who turned 77 this month, in a recent interview sought to remain neutral on the issue of self-immolation, terming it as a “very sensitive political issue” that needs to be seriously investigated by an outside fact-finding mission. China, however, blames Dalai Lama and his exile Tibetan followers, of instigating the wave of self-immolation, a charge they deny.
The Tibet Express (Bod-Kyi-Bang-Chen) is legally registered under the Information department and Press of Indian government. It is the first ever independent Tibetan weekly newsletter in our Tibetan society and till date, it is being widely distributed in around twenty different countries.
