Dr Sangay expresses disappointment at global response to Tibet self-immolations

Jamphel Yeshi, 27, engulfed in flames runs at a protest rally demanding international intervention in the ongoing crisis inside Tibet on March 26, 2012. (Photo/Reuters/Adnan Abidi)

 DHARAMSHALA, August 21: Tibet’s elected leader Dr Lobsang Sangay expressed disappointment at the global response to the unfolding crisis inside Tibet, even as the number of self-immolations touched 50 this month.

Addressing members of international press in the Indian capital New Delhi on Monday, Dr Sangay noted that the wave of fiery protests inside Tibet were a reflection of Chinese government policies.

“The fact that these Tibetans are going to such lengths of protest means the [promised Chinese] ‘socialist paradise’ never touched the land of Tibet – the welfare and education policies they always write on paper were never realised,” the de facto Tibetan prime minister was quoted as saying by media outlets.

He added that the self-immolating Tibetans have no recourse to other forms of protest against China's rule inside Tibet.

"Since I took over, the situation in Tibet became worse... and given the constraints on any freedom of speech, Tibetans have unfortunately resorted to self-immolation," he said.

50 Tibetans have set themselves on fire, since 2009, demanding freedom and the return of the Dalai Lama from exile.

"We have made several appeals to Tibetan people not to resort to drastic actions like self-immolation but it continues today. It brings sadness to Tibetan people and as Buddhists we pray for them."

Kalon Tripa urged other countries to pay attention to the plight of the Tibetab people.

"Ignoring us or not supporting us might send a message to other marginalized groups around the world that perhaps it is not worth investing in democracy and non-violence," he said.

Dr Sangay pushed for an international delegation to be sent to Tibet to investigate the causes behind the fiery protests and for unrestricted access of the international media to the region.

Calling his job one of the “most difficult in the world,” the Harvard law graduate said that the Tibetan leadership will be closely observing China’s once-in-a-decade leadership change.

“We need to study their background and personalities … Then only we can guess how they will deal with Tibet – but the past 50 years doesn’t give us much reason to be optimistic,” Dr Sangay said. “But as a human being one should remain always hopeful – and with so many changes in Arab countries and Aung San Suu Kyi freed, there are reasons to be hopeful.”

The Tibetan leader was in New Delhi on his way back from the Bihar’s capital city of Patna, where he addressed a seminar on the topic 'Role of Tibet in Future Geo-Politics' on a day-long visit.

Stressing that the Tibetan movement was based on the Indian ethos, Dr Sangay said, "The Tibetan freedom movement is a 'Made in India' concept as the exiled people of Tibet have adopted the Indian culture and democratic values, with a thrust on non-violence in their pursuit.”

While in the Indian capital, Kalon Tripa Dr Lobsang Sangay met some “dignitaries” and is scheduled to arrive back to the exile headquarters of Dharamshala later today.

Kirti Monk Sentenced For Murder

A Chinese court says the defendant conspired to ensure a fellow Tibetan monk would die after self-immolating.

AFP

Tibetan monks and nuns stage a candlelight protest in Dharamsala, India, over the young monk's death, March 17, 2011.

A court in the southwestern Chinese province of Sichuan handed down an 11-year jail term to a Tibetan Buddhist monk on Monday in connection with the self-immolation death of Kirti monastery-based monk Phuntsog in March.

Lobsang Tsondru (in Chinese, Drongdru), 46, pleaded guilty to charges of murder and was sentenced to 11 years in prison, official media reported.

Two more Kirti monks will be tried on Tuesday, also charged with murder.

On March 16, Rigzin Phuntsog, a 21-year-old monk at the Kirti monastery in Ngaba prefecture, set fire to himself in protest of rule by Beijing, leading to a security crackdown by Chinese forces and the forced removal of about 300 monks from the monastery.

"The trial has begun [this morning]," said an official who answered the phone at the Maerkang County People's Court.

But he declined to comment further. "You will have to call another department ... but I can't give you their number because it's a secret internal number," he added.

Two other Kirti monks, Tsering Tenzin and Tenchum, will stand trial on Tuesday charged with plotting, instigating, and assisting in Phuntsog's self-immolation.

Kalsang, a member of the Dharamsala-based exile Tibetan parliament, said the community was watching the trials carefully.

"They are saying that these three monks aided and abetted Phuntsog's self-immolation, and that they also hid him," he said. "This meant it took longer to treat him, and led to his death."

"They are saying that this amounts to deliberate homicide."

According to an announcement from the Maerkang County People's Court, the three monks were part of a premeditated plan to ensure that Phuntsog's self-immolation resulted in death.

"They were well aware that Phuntsog had sustained serious injuries from the burns, and they moved him when he should have received emergency medical care," the court statement said.

Rescue attempt

Jampel Monlam, assistant director of the Dharamsala-based Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy, said the three monks were detained during the crackdown on Kirti monastery, but that attempts were made to save Phuntsog by monks there.

"The Chinese Communist Party is trying to place responsibility for this on the lamas at Kirti, by saying that they are murderers," he said. "They are confusing black with white."

He said Kirti was under continued guard by police and armed police, and that the authorities had installed closed-circuit television cameras to monitor activity inside the monastery.

Kalsang said the Tibetan community was expecting heavy sentences for all three monks.

"For charges of deliberate homicide, the sentences will be very heavy," Kalsang said. "In cases of this kind, the authorities don't allow the families of the accused to pay for their own lawyers; they will be given a lawyer by the government."

But he said the Chinese government was ignoring the real reason behind Phuntsog's death.

"Phuntsog set fire to himself out of despair at the treatment of monks at Kirti monastery and at all Tibetan monasteries, which included strict controls on Tibetans," Kalsang said.

"But the authorities want to make excuses so they are making these monks carry the blame."

Tsering, a monk at the exile Kirti monastery in India, cited sources inside Ngaba as saying that there was some confusion over the names of the suspects, adding that there were four monks whose families had been invited to attend the trials.

Second death

Beijing has rejected calls from a U.N. human rights panel to provide information about the whereabouts of more than 300 of Kirti's monks who remain unaccounted for since the monastery was raided in April.

The Foreign Ministry said only that monks were undergoing "legal education."

Chinese authorities frequently carry out "political re-education" of Tibetan monks, who are put under pressure to renounce their allegiance to the exiled spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama.

Phuntsog's death was echoed in a second self-immolation death in Kardze earlier this month.

On Aug. 15, Tsewang Norbu, a 29-year-old monk from Kardze's Nyitso monastery, set fire to himself outside the Tawu county government offices after handing out leaflets calling for human rights for Tibetans and the return of the Dalai Lama.

Kardze has been the scene of repeated Tibetan protests, both by individuals and by small groups, despite the threat of detentions and violent assaults against protesters by Chinese police.

Local Tibetan and exile sources say security forces converged on the monastery in the wake of the Tsewang Norbu's protest.

Meanwhile, Kirti monastery is still under tight guard by security forces who are accused by pro-Tibetan groups overseas of beating onlookers and detaining monks.

No foreign journalists have been permitted to visit the region.

Reported by Qiao Long for RFA's Mandarin service, by Hai Nan for the Cantonese service, and by Rigdhen Dolma for the Tibetan service. Translated and written in English by Luisetta Mudie.

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