Dopo, 23, from Ngawa in Tibet's Amdo province, died in a self-immolation protest against Chinese rule in Tibet, on 4 November 2018. Handout/Kirti Monastery
By Tibet Sun Newsroom
McLEOD GANJ, India, 9 November 2018
A Tibetan youth from Ngawa in Tibet’s Amdo province has died in a self-immolation protest against Chinese rule in Tibet.
Exile Tibetans Losang Yeshe and Kanyag Tsering from Kirti monastery in McLeod Ganj, who have contacts in Ngawa, said in a press release that Dopo, a 23-year-old, youth died in the fiery protest on 4 November.
Dopo, who was from Jakorma village in the Choejema area of Ngawa county, shouted: “May the Dalai Lama live long! May we soon behold his golden countenance!” as his body was consumed in flames.
Dopo’s father’s name was Chopa, and his mother’s, Trinle Kyi. They passed away a few years ago, and Dopo had been living at the house of his uncle Jampal Drakpa.
No details were available as to whether Dopo’s body was taken by the Chinese authorities, or about the situation of the bereaved relatives.
This was the 41st known self-immolation protest in Ngawa, while the total of known self-immolations for the whole of Tibet is 154 since the first one by Kirti monk Tapey in February 2009.
My friend who retired from tibetan politics told me self-immolations are harming the Tibet cause. “There used to be lot of Western supporters. But they stopped after self-immolation because they get turned off or repulsed by such acts.” Plus self-immolation has never made any difference for us.
We have to come out and speak against self-immolation. Every single life matters. I think news outlets should stop sharing self-immolation videos and pictures because that gives the impression that exile Tibetans want Tibetans inside Tibet to increase their capital for negotiation with Beijing.
Please look at video where Tibetans are requesting fellow Tibetans to desist from burning oneself. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6YhlqoieycU