“May the Dalai Lama Live Long! May We Soon Behold His Golden Countenance!”: Tibetan Self-Immolator Dopo/ENG

2018. november 9./CTA/TibetPress

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Dharamshala: Dopo, a Tibetan man barely of 23 years old, set himself on fire on 4 November, this year in Ngaba County of Tibet’s Amdo region. According to confirmed sources, Dopo is reported to have succumbed to his injuries post the act of protesting against the repressive policies of the Chinese government,

“He set himself on fire shouting, ‘May the Dalai Lama live long! May we soon behold his golden countenance!’ before he died,” reported Kanyag Tsering of Kirti Monastery based in exile in Dharamshala. “His father’s name is Chopa, and his mother, Trinle Kyi, passed away a few years ago. He had been living at the house of his uncle Jampal Drakpa,” added our sources.

Dopo belonged to Jakorma village in the Choejema area of Ngaba County. There are no details available on the whereabouts of his body or the condition of his relatives.

Going by the previous incidents, it is very likely that the Chinese authorities may have confiscated the body depriving the family members and the self-immolator, last rites and rituals. In light of the Chinese authorities policy of criminalization of self-immolators and their families, Dopo’s family members and relatives are most likely to be subjected to restrictions and deprivation of welfare benefits.

This is the 41st self-immolation from Ngaba County, raising the total self-immolations in Tibet since 2009 to 153. The most recent self-immolation by Tsekho Tugchak, aged around 40’s in March this year was from Ngaba County as well.

“Dopo’s self-immolation (4 November 2018) comes at a critical time, just two days prior to China’s third cycle of UPR before the UN Human Rights Council. During the review, a number of UN Member States condemned China for rights violations in Tibet to which China brazenly denied of any violations, and on the contrary spoke of the protection of the freedom of Tibetans in Tibet including that of religion and belief. Therefore the UN and the international community must ensure that China is made to account for the severe abuse of human rights of Tibetans, and to uphold their commitment to protecting the rights of Tibetans,” said Thinlay Chukki, Associate Officer, UN and Human Rights Desk of the Department of Information and International Relations (DIIR), Central Tibetan Administration.

-Filed by UN, EU & Human Rights Desk, DIIR and contributed by Losang Yeshi and Kanyag Tsering from Kirti Monastery