Australian Ambassador Seeks Visit to Tibet on Self-Immolations/ENG

2012. március 19./CTA/TibetPress

DHARAMSHALA: Australia’s Ambassador to China is seeking Beijing’s permission to visit Tibet to investigate why a growing number of Tibetans are setting themselves on fire, Australian Associated Press (AAP) reported.

Since March 2009, 30 Tibetans have so far set themselves on fire demanding “freedom” and “the return of His Holiness the Dalai Lama to his homeland”. 17 of these incidents occurred in this year alone. 21 self-immolators have died, 5 remain unaccounted for, and 4 are in serious health condition.

Foreign Minister Bob Carr says Ambassador Frances Adamson also will ask Beijing to let an Australian parliamentary delegation visit Tibet to examine the reasons for the self-immolations.

Senator Carr described the self-immolation protests as distressing.

“Our ambassador will be seeking today to travel to Tibet to see for herself the grievances that have given rise to the self-immolations,” Senator Carr told Senate question time on Monday.

Senator Carr’s announcement as a Tibetan delegation apprised the government and parliamentarians about the tragic self-immolations in Tibet.

The Central Tibetan Administration has been consistently calling on the international community and the United Nations to send a fact-finding delegation to Tibet, and that the world media be given access to the region as well.