DHARAMSHALA, July 8: Dhargey, the young Tibetan man who set himself on fire in Lhasa, Tibet’s capital on May 27, is feared to have succumbed to his injuries.
According to reports, Dhargey, 25, who set himself on fire in a twin self-immolation protest along with Dorjee Tseten, 19, in front of the historic Jokhang Temple passed away in a hospital in Lhasa on July 7.
US based Radio Free Asia in a report quoted a source in Lhasa as saying that Dhargey passed away on July 7 at 6.40 pm (local time).
The same source added that Dhargey was brought to a police hospital near Sera Monastery with 60 per cent burns immediately after his fiery protest.
Dorjee Tseten, who was working at a restaurant in Lhasa along with Dhargey, passed away at the site of their protest.
It was earlier reported that Dhargey’s father, Lodey, a native of Ngaba, eastern Tibet recently travelled to Lhasa to enquire about his son’s condition but was turned back.
“Lodey was not even able to confirm whether his son was still in Lhasa, much less find out anything about his condition,” the exile base of Kirti monastery in Dharamshala said in release last month.
Kalon Tripa Dr Lobsang Sangay in his statement on the Dalai Lama’s 77th birthday said the ongoing wave of self-immolations in Tibet showed that the “Tibetan aspirations for freedom and dignity remains strong.”
Dr Sangay also called for a global solidarity vigil on August 8, coinciding with the completion of his one-year in office.
“This international vigil will remember those Tibetans who have given up their lives for Tibet and show solidarity with every Tibetan in Tibet who continues to suffer oppression under Chinese rule,” Katri said.
According to the Dharamshala based Central Tibetan Administration, 42 Tibetans have set themselves on fire from February 27, 2009 to June15, 2012 demanding freedom in Tibet and the return of the Dalai Lama from exile.
With reports of Dhargey’s death, 33 Tibetans have now passed away in their self-immolation protests. Six Tibetans have sustained serious injuries and are reportedly in critical conditions while the well-being and whereabouts of four Tibetan self-immolators still remain unknown.
