Tsekho Tukchak, a man in his 40s from the town of Meruma in Ngaba county, in an undated photo. He died after a self-immolation protest against Chinese rule in Tibet, on 7 March 2018. Photographer unknown
Tibet Sun Newsroom
MCLEOD GANJ, India, 8 March 2018
A Tibetan man from the Amdo region of Tibet has died after he set himself on fire in protest against the Chinese rule in Tibet.
Tsekho Tukchak, a man in his 40s from the town of Meruma in Ngaba county (known as Aba in Chinese), died at the scene of his fiery protest on Wednesday.
With Tukchak’s action, the number of Tibetan self-immolations inside Tibet has reached 153 since the protests began in 2009.
The protesters have called for a free Tibet, and to let exiled spiritual leader the Dalai Lama return to Tibet.
The Dalai Lama escaped to India after the Chinese invasion of his country in 1959. He has since advocated for a ‘Middle-way policy’ seeking autonomy within China, rather than outright independence for Tibet.
Lobsang Sangay, the president of the Central Tibetan Administration, stated: “Despite repeated appeals from the Central Tibetan Administration not to resort to drastic measures such as self-immolation, at least 152 Tibetans including Tsekho have set themselves on fire since 2009 in Tibet.
Such sacrifices by Tibetans in Tibet evidences that repression in Tibet under the Chinese rule is making lives unliveable.”
Exile Tibetans in Dharamshala held a candle-light vigil to mourn Tukchak’s death, and to show their solidarity with him.
Sad day for us and all the Tibetans losing another patriot to the repressive Chinese policy in Tibet. We are not seeing any end to this form of protest until Tibetans are restored their basic freedom and rights in their own land. What choices people have when they are pushed to the corner by the communist brutality?
It is time to review and discuss our policy after the “Middle Path” as proposed by HH the Dalai lama becoming so unpopular after it failed to achieve its goal. There should be free and frank exchanges of view in this regard without much delay. Many of our friends and sympathizer are visibly confused and caught in a catch 22 type of situation.
So high lamas and the CTA have ordered Tibetans “not to resort to drastic measures such as self-immolation” without being able to deliver any hope for suffering Tibetans:
The Chinese Government continues to claim that Tibetan government in exile has not delivered reciprocity even as Tibetsn officials are going around the world condemning Tibetans who speak truth to power or protest Chinese policies that hurt and humiliate tibetans:
So this Tenth March anniversary of the tibetan people’s national uprising who among us will honor Tsekho Tukchak?
Let us now honor Tibetans who sacrificed their most precious life in service of the common good!
The Chinese occupation depends on finding enough Tibetans who will value their honor and dignity and dreams less than pleasing their Chinese masters who denigrate the Dalai Lama and seek to burn down the Sacred Jokhang.