7 May
2017
7 May
'17
11:08 a.m.
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Tibetan Teenager Stages Self-Immolation Protest in Gansu
May 7, 2017 - A 16-year-old student in a Tibetan region of Gansu staged a
self-immolation protest on May 2 against Chinese rule, RFA's Tibetan service
has learned.
A source inside Tibet said Chagdor Kyab from Bora Township, in Gannan
Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Amdo, set himself on fire near Bora
monastery, a branch of Labrang Tashikyil monastery.
The source, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Chagdor Kyab, a student
from a farming family, shouted "Tibet wants freedom" and "Let His Holiness
the Dalai Lama come back to Tibet" while he burned.
While his body was on fire the teenager tried to run towards the Chinese
government offices of Bora Township but he fell down before reaching the
offices. Chinese police and military swiftly arrived at the scene and
extinguished the flames and took away the body, the source told RFA.
It was not clear on Saturday whether Chagdor Kyab was alive or dead. The
source in Tibet identified his mother as Dolma Tso and his father as Zoepa,
farmers from Dardo in Bora Township.
Following the self-immolation, the local Chinese authorities imposed tight
restrictions in the area which made it difficult to obtain further
information.
Since 2009 four Tibetans from Bora have self-immolated, and the May 2
protest brought to 149 the number of self-immolations by Tibetans living in
China since the wave of fiery protests began in 2009. Of these, 125 are
known to have died.
Reported by Lumbum Tashi and edited and translated by Kalden Lodoe. Written
in English by Paul Eckert.
View this story online at:
http://www.rfa.org/english/news/tibet/amdo-protest-05072017091020.html
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