DHARAMSALA, December 9 – The situation in Meruma town in Tibet’s Ngaba region is said to be ‘tense’ after a 30 year old Tibetan father of two set himself ablaze on Dec. 3.
The whereabouts of the Tibetans arrested in the aftermath of Tseten’s self immolation protest are not known as their family members remain worried about their near ones being tortured by Chinese police in undisclosed locations. A Tibetan source said that Tseten’s wife, however, has been released. Tseten’s wife Namnang was arrested along with some of Tseten’s relatives following the protest by Tseten.
The Tibetan source said armed Chinese police and security forces are strictly monitoring movement of Tibetans in Meruma township with heavy surveillance on all communication lines. Incidents of Chinese police confiscating motorbikes and pictures of the exiled Tibetan leader the Dalai Lama have been reported, said the source. A few Tibetans have also been beaten up for refusing to surrender their motorbikes.
On Dec. 3, Kunchok Tseten shouted slogans demanding the return of exiled Tibetan leader the Dalai Lama and union of Tibetans inside Tibet and exiles before collapsing a few metres away in Meruma town. “Long live Gyalwa Tenzin Gyatso, lets unite our brothers here and those in exile”, he shouted. An eyewitness had told the source that he saw cotton sheets wrapped around Tseten’s body by metal wires.
Chinese police on routine patrol immediately surrounded him not allowing local Tibetans who were preventing them from taking the charred body away. The police finally took away Kunchok after a few clashes with the police. He reportedly died on the way to Barkham County. Tseten’s wife and family members were not fortunate enough to even see the charred remains of Tseten as Chinese police had already cremated him.
Tseten is survived by his wife and two children, Chakdor Kyab; 4, and Paltsel Kyab; 3. He was a native of Chukhama village in Machu County.
Tseten became the 124th Tibetan to protest by self immolation since Tapey, a monk of Kirti monastery, set himself ablaze in February 2009.
