Why Do Tibetans Self-immolate?

[Ray]

Why Do Tibetans Self-immolate?

Following a surge in self-immolations in Tibetan areas in late 2012, authorities cracked down on access to news and information in the region. In recent weeks, the number of self-immolations seems to have slowed, or at least additional incidents have not been reported by the Western press if they have occurred.

Wang Lixiong, a Chinese writer who is married to prominent Tibetan writer Woeser, analyses the final words of many of the self-immolators to try to understand their motivations. He comes up with several motives, which he weights according to how many of the self-immolators referenced them. His essay is translated on Woeser's blog, Invisible Tibet:

* Self-immolations are actually not out of desperation

Commonly interpreted – including the officials of the Tibetan government-in-exile – that the self-immolations are desperate acts caused by the unbearable conditions, we cannot deny this claim, but it's only 19%, the weightage falls in the lower part in the seven classifications.

* The self-immolators inside Tibet are not invoking support of the international community

Another widespread view is that the self-immolations are acts of appealing for the attention of the international community. However, except writer Godrup, none of the last-words mentioned this and so this has the least weightage in the list. This reveals that the Tibetans inside Tibet do not actually rely on the international community as people think for granted. In fact, it is the self-immolators outside Tibet (not included in the table above) who seek international support, Jamphel Yeshi mentioned it twice in his last-words and Sherab Tsedor called for international attention for the Tibet crisis. To seek the support of international community has actually always been the main objective of the Tibetans outside Tibet; it is where they focus even today. This is the major difference between the Tibetans in and out of Tibet.

* Protests and demands in the self-immolations are known

19% of the last-words express protests and demands, but while self-immolating, those who shouted slogans like "Let the Dalai Lama return to Tibet", "Free Tibet", "Release the 11th Panchen Lama", "We want language rights" etc, are also expressing protests and demands and thus should also be counted. Besides, majority of the self-immolators, though have not left any last-words, the acts of self-immolations in themselves are acts of protests and demands, this cannot be clearer.

By the end of 2012, close to 100 Tibetans had self-immolated, and many of those had died. Phayul just reported that a ninth grade student in Dharamsala, India, was prevented from lighting himself on fire in November. Read more about the self-immolations via CDT.

Last-words Analysis: Why Do Tibetans Self-immolate? - China Digital Times (CDT)


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Interesting thoughts.

Does indicate the struggle of the Tibetans for preventing the wiping out of the singular Tibetan identity being the main issue.

 

[Sakal Gharelu Ustad]

Any passive identity is bound to be wiped out in the long run. The sooner Tibetans realize the better.

 

[Bhadra]

Self immolation in Tibet or by Tibatans is a by product and extension of Idian culture.

In India self immolation has been a means of ultimate protest which is supposed to put an incurable curse on the other party. It was a by product of this belief which gave rise to customs such as Sati or Johar though in different context. Mahayan Budhism also stressed upon the concept of ultimate self sacrifice or Maha Samadhi in which a monk buries and burns himself never to rise again.


May The godless Chinese be cursed in the freedom of Tibet.

 

[hit&run]

Tibetans are cowards and its all because of their religion, the same religion which had made Hindus non assertive and defensive pessimist.

 

[Bhadra]

Why do the Tibatans self immolate ?

 

[Bhadra]

Tibetans are cowards and its all because of their religion, the same religion which had made Hindus non assertive and defensive pessimist.

I am pained by your comment. Whatever you think is not true....

 

[rock127]

Tibetans are cowards and its all because of their religion, the same religion which had made Hindus non assertive and defensive pessimist.

Tibetans need to learn that these self-burning is NOT going to get them FREE TIBET.

China doesn't really give a flying F to these tactics since all they want is land of Tibet and not Tibetians.So Tibetans are making their work easier by self harming.China has played it's best playcard ie outnumbering and infrastructure.

Tibetans seems to show aggression in India only(I have seen examples of this) against the locals but in front of mighty CCP they are nothing.

 

[hit&run]

I am pained by your comment. Whatever you think is not true....

I have said it after giving it a good thought, and have many good arguments to back it up. I hope we will talk more on it if you will do your bit to find out why I am right or wrong on it.

 

[amoy]

Tibetans are cowards and its all because of their religion, the same religion which had made Hindus non assertive and defensive pessimist.

Fully echo your thought. That's why long time back I called for dumping cultural and religious trash back to India

Reposting and highlighting -

Out of generosity, and humanitarian concerns, India shall grant citizenship for Tibetans in exile and establish a Tibetan state with Dharamsala as capital (or Darjeeling?) inside India. Or shall Tibetan Indians share a homeland together with Sikkim and Ladakh who have the same cultural heritage with Tibetans? In India they are able to get as close as possible to their spiritual leaders, be it Dalai Lama or Karmapa or whatever, or be it Gelugpa or Sagyapa or Kagypa, and worship ten thousand idols as much as they like.

As Chinese including Tibetans who stay progressively on the other side of the border, we can just leave them alone as they've anyway disowned China, and dump the spiritual opium (dharma or karma, whatever) back while keeping Kama Sutra only.

That opium imported from India is poisoning peoples minds and incompatible with Chinese culture (un-China)!

 

[hit&run]

Fully echo your thought. That's why long time back I called for dumping cultural and religious trash back to India

Reposting and highlighting -

That opium imported from India is poisoning peoples minds and incompatible with Chinese culture (un-China)!

You haven't understood the context I was talking.

That religion gave you Chinese a culture in the first place or you are trying to say till Mao all your population was Idiot following this religion ? Still Chinese line outside to buy tickets to visit Buddhist temples.

Their religion has never done anything wrong to China that they should be persecuted they way they have been. Their pessimism has rather helped China which blasted their monasteries with world war I weapons and they were not able to give them a fight.

About India: The period when Buddhism was at peak we inherited so many ideology which were never compatible for survival a nation going to face a world who was soon going to invade our borders from land and seas. India could have done so much to increase its influence all across South Asia and beyond. Conquering China and other nations by religion should have been complemented with military expedition simultaneously which was a big no no in Buddhism.

Our reality check which was very late, was 1962, which weaned of remaining Buddhist influence of 'Ahimsa' non violence much of our Population was having including Nehru.

Today India is capable to defend and offend any of its neighbour at will.

Tibetans should have been more militant to teach the invaders the right lesson.

This is what I am trying to stress.
............

Tibetans instead asking Indians to bleed China or burning themselves like helpless cowards should bleed China if they really want their freedom. The Buddhist 'Ahimsa' non violence has done no good to them. But then they have a history of outsourcing their security to China, it was like asking cat to be on the the night watch of a bowl full of milk.

 

[W.G.Ewald]

A new paradigm is needed.

Tibet person douses himself with gasoline.

Grabs first Chinese passer-by.

Lights them both up.

 

[rock127]

A new paradigm is needed.

Tibet person douses himself with gasoline.

Grabs first Chinese passer-by.

Lights them both up.

Or perhaps even better version ...a Tibetian carries a can of petrol...walks up to a Han Chinese...puts him on fire.... walks back and eats noodles and chants

 

[ice berg]

A new paradigm is needed.

Tibet person douses himself with gasoline.

Grabs first Chinese passer-by.

Lights them both up.

Why dont you take your own advice?:cool2:

 

[ice berg]

Or perhaps even better version ...a Tibetian carries a can of petrol...walks up to a Han Chinese...puts him on fire.... walks back and eats noodles and chants

Afterwards the chinese will do the same thing indians did after the mumbai attack, hunt down those murderers. ohh wait..

 

[Ray]

Afterwards the chinese will do the same thing indians did after the mumbai attack, hunt down those murderers. ohh wait..

First get the terrorist sponsored by your bosom friend Pakistan and then come back!

The Uighurs are bleeding you white and you are running scared!

You are so scared that the world will come to know what the Pakistani trained Uighurs can do to make a monkey of the Han, that you restrict foreign tourists and herd the little that you allow to be Shepherded by a Chinese minder so that they do not realise what is up!

The Pak trained terrorists use the chant - Chhu mantra Chin-kyoo chu, guru guru gone

Nasty little Joes that you trained against the Soviets in Afghanistan!

Biting the hand that fed them!

 

[ice berg]

First get the terrorist sponsored by your bosom friend Pakistan and then come back!

The Uighurs are bleeding you white and you are running scared!

You are so scared that the world will come to know what the Pakistani trained Uighurs can do to make a monkey of the Han, that you restrict foreign tourists and herd the little that you allow to be Shepherded by a Chinese minder so that they do not realise what is up!

I can read maoists bleeding indians white everyday. When was the last time you hear about uighurs?

 

[Ray]

I can read maoists bleeding indians white everyday. When was the last time you hear about uighurs?

You read too much of Communist propaganda that aims to exhilarate washed up Red Guards to feel good!

We do not wipe out culture and civilisations like you!

In Xinjiang you do not even allow the Uighur, who are Moslems to even fast during Ramadan.

You are that scared that Islam will ensure that the Han have a little less weight to carry in their lower area having embraced the powerful message of the Prophet!

when was it that you allowed anyone to visit the real Uighurs to know what is happening?

Your minders, posing as tourist guides, are like hawks lest they are shoved into the Laogai for not herding the tourists as if they are prisoners!

You mistake that people, may not even be the Chinese who too are controlled, visit these areas and are well aware as to what is happening!

How they do, that is for you to solve!

Xie Xie Tongzhi!

 

[ice berg]

You read too much of Communist propaganda that aims to exhilarate washed up Red Guards to feel good!

We do not wipe out culture and civilisations like you!

In Xinjiang you do not even allow the Uighur, who are Moslems to even fast during Ramadan.

You are that scared that Islam will ensure that the Han have a little less weight to carry in their lower area having embraced the powerful message of the Prophet!

when was it that you allowed anyone to visit the real Uighurs to know what is happening?

Your minders, posing as tourist guides, are like hawks lest they are shoved into the Laogai for not herding the tourists as if they are prisoners!

You mistake that people, may not even be the Chinese who too are controlled, visit these areas and are well aware as to what is happening!

How they do, that is for you to solve!

Xie Xie Tongzhi!

Lke I thought, you couldnt answer my questions so you going off like fireworks again.

 

[Ray]

Lke I thought, you couldnt answer my questions so you going off like fireworks again.

Too bad it was in English and so it went over your head!

 

[ice berg]

Too bad it was in English and so it went over your head!

Are you saying you just had a monologue with yourself again? tsk tsk ray,