By Tenzin Dharpo
DHARAMSHALA, DEC. 14: The family members of a Tibetan man who fatally self immolated last week in Amdo Machu are being tortured by Chinese authorities into signing a document that says that late Tashi Rabten burned himself due to household problems and not for Tibet.
RFA cited an anonymous source saying that the wife and daughter of the self immolator were beaten and made to put their thumb imprints on a government document before being released on Dec. 9.
Tashi Rabten who self immolated fatally on Dec. 8 called for the freedom for Tibet and return of exiled Tibetan leader His Holiness the Dalai Lama to Tibet and the release of the Panchen Lama, Gendun Choekyi Nyima, according to the same source.
Following the incident, the family and bystanders are now being put in a precarious position with nine people detained; three among which are held on the suspicion of taking the video circulated on social media sites and a women for praying, also heard in the same video.
Among the four family members of the self immolator who were detained earlier, Tsedzin Lhamo is still not released adding more misery to the aggrieved family.
Despite the wish of the family to cremate the remains of Tashi Rabten at Labrang Monastery, Chinese authorities handed back only the ashes of the self immolator on Dec.9. Sources also say that common Tibetan people from Machu and neighboring areas have come forward for prayers for the self immolator and offer condolences to the family.
Tashi Rabten, 31, a former monk marks the 146th self immolator in Tibet since 2009.
