DHARAMSHALA, 24 November: A Tibetan man who set himself ablaze in protest against China two years ago in Bora has been sent home with both his legs amputated, a Tibetan source said.
Sungdue Kyab, 31, set himself on fire just outside the Bora monastery in Bora region of Sangchu in eastern Tibet in Dec. 2012. Chinese security personnel on street patrol immediately took him away in a police van. Tibetans present at the site tried to stop the Chinese police from taking Kyab away.
Sonam, an exiled Tibetan monk had told Phayul that local Tibetans who were circumambulating the Bora Monastery in Bora town of Sangchu, Labrang Tashikhyil region of eastern Tibet, saw Sungdue Kyab’s body on fire and his head bleeding profusely.
Kyab was first admitted to a Chinese hospital in Kanlho and later moved to the larger hospital in Lanzhou. Doctors told Kyab’s family members that both his legs required to be amputated in order to save his life.
Kyab’s parents were called in to give their approval to amputation of both his legs. His parents reportedly were against the amputation. However, his parents told the doctors that they must be consulted should the amputation be inevitable to save his life. Kyap’s parents were not allowed to meet or speak with him at the hospital and were only allowed to see him through a glass window.
Kyab, who became the 92nd Tibetan to self immolate since 2009, was moved to a Sangchu County detention centre earlier this year. When his family members went to the detention centre to see Kyab they were not allowed any meeting with Kyab.
Eyewitnesses reported that when Sungdue Kyab was apprehended by Chinese security personnel stationed at the monastery, he began to smash his head against the walls.
The same source said Kyab was released last month but information about him is so difficult to acquire. “I think his parents and wife have been warned against talking about Kyab’s condition to others. That is why we are knowing of his release after almost a month.”
Sungdue Kyab and his wife Dugkar Kyi have a son who is nearly four years old. His parents are Tsebha and Bendhe Tso.
Gendun Gyatso, a monk of Bora monastery in Labrang, was sentenced last year to six years’ imprisonment for allegedly preventing the police from extinguishing fire on Kyab’s body. A day after Kyab’s self immolation protest, Chinese police and government officials arrived at the Bora monastery and arrested five monks including Gendun.
