He became the face of Tibetan protest earlier this week when he tried to immolate himself outside Taj Mahal Palace & Tower, where Chinese President Hu Jintao was staying. Lhakpa Tsering (24), a student of St Joseph’s College, Bangalore, is the president of the Regional Tibetan Youth Congress there. Arrested and charged under Section 309 of the Indian Penal Code for attempting suicide, Tsering was later released on bail along with other arrested protesters. “My only ambition is to live in a free Tibet,” he tells our correspondent.
By Bhushan Shinde
Mumbai, November 25: What did you hope to achieve by harming yourself?
I wanted to burn myself and express our anger towards the Chinese president. He should know what we feel about his government. The government in 1989 ordered the killings of thousands of Tibetans in the Tibetan Autonomous Region for protesting against Chinese authorities.
Was your action a well-planned protest or a spontaneous move?
Earlier, we had planned a protest in Bangalore with demonstrations and placards but dropped the idea when the president changed his schedule. I was worried I might be stopped by the police, so I came to Mumbai alone. I didn’t inform my friends or colleagues. I came here on Wednesday evening. The next day, early morning, I checked the security at Taj and bought kerosene.
But you broke the law. How do you justify that? Besides, the Mumbai police had granted you permission for a peaceful protest at Azad Maidan.
Till today we have been protesting silently, without breaking the law. But our demands have not yet been fulfilled. We have realised that nothing can come out of such silent protests. So I thought of immolating myself, even if it is against the law.
I thought if I take such an extreme step our movement would gather more support. We are warning the Chinese government that if Tibet is not handed over to us we will take such extreme steps in the future.
Yes, we are grateful to the Indian government for giving Tibetan refugees a place to live, treating us as countrymen. But I don’t think our problem is being addressed in a proper light by the media. I did this for publicity, so that people know and understand our issue.
Are the Tibetans particularly angry right now? This year’s protests seemed very strong.
Our people are being ill treated by the Chinese government. On September 30, two Tibetans were shot by Chinese soldiers in Nangla Pass for no reason. What have we done? It’s not just the liberation of Tibet we are fighting for. We are also against intrusion in Arunachal Pradesh. And we are also fighting for the 3,000 sq km Aksai Chin that’s in Chinese possession.
Were you born in Tibet? What memories of homeland do you have?
I was born and brought up in Dharamshala, India. I have never been to Tibet and have no relatives there. Still, Tibet is a part of my identity. I have protested earlier too, during the visit of Wen Jiabao, Prime Minister of China, in 2005.
