Dharamshala — The President of the Central Tibetan Administration has called on the Chinese government to review its failed policies that have engendered the grim situation and led Tibetans to resort to self-immolation to protest Chinese rule in Tibet.
President Dr Lobsang Sangay's comments came after a young Tibetan man set himself on fire last week in protest against the repressive policies of the Chinese government in Tibet. Konpe (also reported as Konbe), a 30-year-old Tibetan man, set himself ablaze in the infamous "Martyr's Lane" in Ngaba town, Ngaba County, eastern Tibet, on December 23, 2017. Later sources updated that he succumbed to his injuries the following day.
Expressing deep concern over the self-immolation protests in Tibet, President Dr Sangay said: "Despite repeated appeals from the Central Tibetan Administration, at least 151 Tibetans have set themselves on fire inside Tibet since 2009. The Chinese government should realize that the cause as well as the solution to this wave of fiery protests lie with the Chinese government itself".
"The Chinese government should address the legitimate grievances of the Tibetan people and review the failed policies that have engendered the grim situation and led Tibetans to resort to self-immolation to protest Chinese rule in Tibet," he added.
The Chinese Communist regime began its invasion of Tibet in 1949, with the total occupation of the country occurring in 1959. Since that time, more than 1.2 million people—20% of the nation's population of six million—have died as a direct result of China's invasion and occupation. In addition, over 99% of Tibet's six thousand religious monasteries, temples, and shrines have been looted or decimated, resulting in the destruction of hundreds of thousands of sacred Buddhist scriptures.
