DHARAMSHALA, January 15: Honouring the calls made by Tibetan self-immolators for unity among the Tibetan people, hundreds of Tibetans in Tawu region of eastern Tibet have pledged not to indulge in any internal conflicts or in-fighting.
According to exile media reports, a monastery in the Minyag Nagtren region of Tawu initiated the move, encouraging local Tibetans above 15 and below 60 years of age to take the pledge to never fight among themselves.
Respecting the last testaments of Tibetan self-immolators and paying heed to the monastery’s advice, around 400 Tibetans in the region are believed to have taken the pledge so far.
Since 2009, as many as 97 Tibetans have set themselves on fire protesting China’s continued occupation of Tibet and demanding freedom and the return of His Holiness the Dalai Lama from exile. Many of the self-immolators have also called for an end to internal conflicts and pleaded for unity among the Tibetan people.
Lobsang Gendun, 29, a monk, at the Penag Monastery, who passed away in his self-immolation protest in Golog Pema region of eastern Tibet on December 3, 2012, raised slogans urging Tibetans to be united and avoid in fighting while engulfed in flames.
Before his fiery protest, he called one of his friends and left a message of hope for the unity and solidarity of all Tibetans.
“I am right now preparing to self-immolate,” Lobsang Gendun told his friend (name not revealed). “I have already doused my body with petrol. I am only left with the battery water to drink before I burn myself.”
“Although I wanted to leave a note, but for my poor handwriting, I could not. So, I am calling you,” Lobsang Gendun said. “My hope is for Tibetans from all the three provinces of Tibet to be united, have solidarity with each other, and not to indulge in internal quarrels. Our aspirations will be fulfilled if we all do this.”
A few days later, on December 8, another Tibetan, Pema Dorjee, 23, passed away in his self-immolation protest in the Luchu region of eastern Tibet while raising slogans for the “return of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, independence of Tibet, unity of Tibetans and for the land of Tibet to be ruled by Tibetans.”
