63 year old Tibetan monk self-immolates in Chinese ruled Tibet

By Lobsang Tenchoe

DHARAMSALA, Nov 30: A senior Tibetan monk has set himself on fire in Kardze county in the traditional Tibetan province of Kham in an apparent protest against China’s repressive rule in Tibet.

unnamed-2-1Tenga, a 63-year-old Tibetan monk is reported to have self immolated on Nov 26, according to a report on Central Tibetan Administration’s  official web page and several online reports.

The elderly Tibetan monk is said to have shouted “freedom in Tibet” as he self-immolated. Chinese police arrived within minutes at the protest site and took away his charred body, the reports said.

But sources in the region told Tibet Express that it is hard confirm the exact date on which Tenga staged the fiery protest as there is heavy security presence in the region which has made it impossible to contact his family members. However, one of the sources said Tenga self-immolated on Nov 20.

Tenga hails from Dadho village near Kardze county in eastern Tibet. The elderly Tibetan monk conducts prayer teachings for local Tibetans and he is refereed by the locals as Gen Tenga, meaning teacher Tenga in Tibetan.

At least 150 Tibetans have self-immolated in China occupied Tibet since Feb 2009. Out of which, 126 are known to have died. Karze alone accounts for 13 fiery protests.

Though the Central Tibetan Administration headquartered in Dharamsala has repeatedly urged Tibetans not to resort to drastic measures such as self-immolation, the saga of fiery protests by the Tibetans continues.