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March 29, 2013

A monk sets self ablaze in Tibet

Daramshala, March 29: A monk from Mogri Monastery in Luchu in Eastern Tibet has set himself on fire in an apparent protest against China’s continuing occupation of Tibet.

“Kunchok Tenzin set himself ablaze at a road intersection near his monastery at 7pm on Tuesday, March 26,” said Kanyag Tsering of Dharamsala-based Kirti Monastery, who closely monitors self-immolations inside Tibet.

Twenty-eight-year-old Tenzin died in his fiery protest.

“Following his self-immolation protest, the local Tibetans carried his charred body inside the monastery premises and cremated it on the same night to prevent the body from falling into Chinese security personnel’s hands,” Tsering added.

Tenzin, son of Lhakho and Lhamo Tso, became a monk in Morgi Monastery at young age.

Last week, David Sweet, a Canadian parliamentarian raised the issue of Tibet in the House of Commons and called upon Xi Jinping to meet with the leaders of the Tibetan Government-in-exile.

“I would like to note that the world is now watching how President Jinping's government lives by those words and lives up to those expectations with regard to the situation in Tibet,” said Sweet.

There have now been 114 confirmed self-immolations in the occupied Tibet. Sixteen of them took place since the beginning of this year.

China’s media blackout and severe security clampdown in Tibet are some of the reasons why the news of Kunchok Tenzin’s self-immolation took two days to get out.