By Phuntsok Yangchen
DHARAMSHALA, April 29: Tibetan exiles today commemorated the 16th death anniversary of the Pawo Thupten Ngodup, the first Tibetan who used self immolation as a form of protest on April 29, 1998, observed as Martyrs Day here at Lhagyal Ri and offered prayers for all the Tibetans who have died for Tibet.
The brief ceremony was attended by Serta Tsultrim, member of Tibetan Parliament; former and serving executive members of Tibetan Youth Congress, the largest pro independence group in exile.
Speaking at the occasion, Serta Tsultrim said, “Because of Chinese crackdown and atrocities in Tibet, many Tibetan martyrs in Tibet w hohave sacrificed their lives look up to Pawo Thupten Ngodup. Therefore it is also important that we remember our martyrs and acknowledge their sacrifices.”
He further noted that the Tibetan Youth Congress’s ideology of seeking independence for Tibet is not against His Holiness the Dalai Lama.
Tenzin Tsundue, activist and writer said, “From the year 2009 onwards, we have seen series of self immolations in Tibet, so the significance of Martyrs day has increased over the years.”
He also said that Martyrs’ Day serves as a good reminder for each Tibetan individual to rethink and reflect of his of her own personal commitments to the struggle and review what needs to be done in future.
“His way of sacrificing for Tibet is a very unique one, something not most people can do but we all must do our own bit in the struggle, especially when the struggle is at a very critical juncture,” said Tsundue.
On April 29, 1998, Thupten Ngodup, a retired member of the Special Frontier Force and a volunteer for the TYC’s indefinite hunger strike in New Delhi, set himself on fire and died in Delhi where the police forcibly took TYC hunger strikers away from Jantar Mantar as a top Chinese military personnel was on visit to the Indian Capital.
