THOUSANDS OF Tibetans gathered at the weekend to mourn a farmer who burned himself to death to protest Chinese rule in Tibet, bringing to about 30 the number in a wave of self-immolations in the Himalayan region.
London-based rights group Free Tibet said Saturday’s funeral turned into a protest march, with thousands calling for freedom and permission for the return of exiled spiritual leader the Dalai Lama,
The events took place in Qinghai province, which is close to Tibet and home to many Tibetan people, while it is not formally part of the Chinese governmentdesignated autonomous region.
Sonam Thargyal (44), a farmer and father of four, fastened cotton padding to his body with iron wire and doused himself with kerosene before setting himself on fire on Saturday in Tongren, a monastery town in Qinghai province.
Although Sichuan is not part of the Tibetan Autonomous Region, it has a sizeable Tibetan population, focused on two prefectures – Aba, which the Tibetans call Ngawa, and Ganzi, or Kardze in Tibetan. About one million Tibetans live in these areas.
“This is the biggest gathering of people I have ever seen in this place. People are pouring in from the villages,” said one witness.
Up to 7,000 Tibetans are reported to have gathered in Tongren.
The Chinese regime blames supporters of the Dalai Lama for encouraging the self-immolations.
The Dalai Lama has distanced himself from the self-immolations but praised the courage of those who have carried out the protests against what he describes as China’s “cultural genocide” in Tibet.
About 30 Tibetans have burned themselves to death in the last year to protest at the growing influence of Han China in the Tibetan plateau and to seek the return of the Dalai Lama, who fled in 1959 amid a failed uprising against Chinese rule.
