By Jigme Ugen
Minneapolis, April 28 – The 8th anniversary of Pawo Thupten Ngodup’s death was observed with Lama Choep – Tsog offering at the Gyuto monastery. Several community members and all the board members of the Minnesota Tibetan Youth Congress attended the ceremony. Tsering Pema Khekhang who sponsored the Tsok said, “When most of us are driven just by self interest, Thupten Ngodupla sacrificed his life for our freedom. He is a true Pawo (martyr) and should be forever remembered.”
In 1998, the Tibetan Youth Congress in India had organized a “Hunger Strike Unto Death” to pressurize the United Nations to implement the International Commission of Jurist’s recommendation on Tibet. After forty-nine days the police had forcefully broken the hunger strike, which consequently led a second group to start.
On April 29, 1998, seven weeks later, when the police tried to disrupt the second time, a 60-year-old hunger striker Thupten Ngodupla thoroughly doused with gasoline, lit himself on fire. Burning like an inferno, Ngodupla ran around chanting “Bhoe Gyalo” (Victory to Tibet), “Bhoe Rangzen” (Independence for Tibet) and “Long live His Holiness the Dalai Lama”.
“Today we remember and pray for all our Tibetan Martyrs,” said Samten Suitsang, RTYC-MN’s Joint Secretary, “they will always inspire and motivate us to fight for Tibet’s independence.”
