Tibetan Buddhist nun succumbs to burn injuries after self-immolation protest

DHARAMSALA, Apr 10: A Tibetan Buddhist nun has set herself on fire on Apr 8 in Drango County of Kardze Prefecture in traditional Kham Province of Tibet, calling for the return of His Holiness the Dalai Lama to Tibet and freedom for Tibetans.

Yeshi Khando, a 47-yr-old Tibetan nun of Ngang-Gang nunnery in Drango County set her body on fire at around 9 am (local time) on Apr 8 at a market place called Kubum Shab located near a Chinese police station in the county, according to Tehor Karma, an exiled Tibetan residing in Australia with contacts in the region.

“While shouting ‘His Holiness the Dalai Lama should be allowed to return to Tibet’, ‘long live His Holiness the Dalai Lama’ and ‘freedom for Tibetans’, she set herself on fire. Chinese police came to the protest site, doused the fire and took her away. Local Tibetans who witnessed the self-immolation protest were of the view that she might have succumbed to her burn injuries but could not confirm it at that time,” Karma said.

“The next day, on Apr 9 police called the family members and told them that Yeshi Khando had succumbed to her injuries,” Karma added.

Yeshi Khando was born to father Sherab and mother Sonam Dolma of Dragsetsang family in Dragse Village in Drango County. Yeshi khandro is known to the local Tibetans as a humble and pious nun who had undertaken years of meditation at Ngang-Gang nunnery. Yeshi Khandro had also participated in protests carried out by the nuns of Ngang-Gang nunnery during the pan Tibet uprising in 2008.

Yeshi Khando became the 137th Tibetan known to have self-immolated in protest against Chinese rule from inside Tibet since February 2009.