Tibetan monk self-immolates in eastern Tibet, toll reaches 150

By Lobsang Tenchoe

DHARAMSALA, May 20: A Tibetan monk has set himself on fire yesterday in Chentsa county in the traditional Tibetan province of Amdo in an apparent protest against China’s repressive rule in Tibet.

Jamyang Losel, a Tibetan monk from Gyerthang monastery set himself on fire on May 19 near a public hospital in Chentsa county and succumbed to his burns, according to several online reports.

Chinese police arrived within minutes at the protest site and took away his charred body.

Despite his family’s pleas, the Chinese police have not returned the monk’s body to his family for the final rites.

Jamyang Losel hails from Nangra township in Malho prefecture of Tsognon ( Ch: Qinghai) province.

He is the 150th Tibetan known to have self-immolated inside Tibet since 2009 and the fourth in 2017.

All the Tibetan self-immolators have called for freedom to be restored in Tibet and His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s return to Tibet.

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.