Dharamshala, 27th February: According to RFA, in an apparent demonstration in front of the landmark Potala Palace in the Tibet regional capital Lhasa this week, a Tibetan screamed slogans and tried self-immolation, but was foiled by Chinese police. The Tibetan was taken away by police shortly after the altercation outside the Potala on Friday morning. His identity, condition, and location are unclear, the source reported.
“Right after this incident took place, the Chinese police blocked all the streets in front and around Potala Palace. And today there are more Chinese soldiers deployed in front of the Potala Palace than usual,” RFA quoted a source inside Tibet, who spoke on condition of anonymity to avoid potential legal danger, said Saturday.
Since 2009, 157 Tibetans have burned themselves on fire in Tibetan territories to protest Chinese authority, while another eight have committed suicide in Nepal and India. The previous report of self-immolation was that of Shurmo, a 26-year-old man who set himself ablaze in the Tibet Autonomous Region’s Nagchu (Chinese, Naqu) district in September 2015. Only in January of last year was his death verified.
The failed self-immolation attempt on Friday came as the Chinese authorities tightened control and surveillance in the run-up to the March 10 anniversary of the 1959 rebellion, known as Tibetan National Uprising Day. In Tibetan areas, high-tech controls on phone and internet communications frequently prevent news of Tibetan protests and arrests from reaching the rest of the globe.
Leave a Reply