འབྲེལ་གཏུགས་དུས་དེབ།
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www.contactmagazine.net 31 December 2012
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Volume: XIV Issue: 12
contact Magazine A Free Monthly Publication For Tibetan Issues & Community Information
Tibetan Self-Immolations Rises to 95 We are saddened to report the following self-immolations that took place in the month of December. 9 Dec: Bhenchen Kyi, 17, set herself on fire in Dokarmo region of Tsekhog, Rebkong. She passed away at the site of her protest. Days before, she had reportedly told her schoolmates that she would self-immolate in the nomadic area so that her parents would be able to look after her dead body. Thousands gathered for her funeral. She is survived by her parents, Sonam Tsering and Sermo, and her two siblings. 8 Dec: Pema Dorjee, 23, set himself on fire in front of the main assembly hall of the Shitsang Monastery in Luchu region. He succumbed to his injuries at the protest site. He was a native of Chokhor village in Shitsang region. His village is located at around a distance of 30kms from the Shitsang Monastery. 8 Dec: Kunchok Phelgye, 24 and a monk, set himself on fire in front of the main assembly hall of the Taktsang Lhamo Kirti Monastery. He Continued on page 20
Human Rights in Tibet: the World Responds by Jacob Blair
demonstrations in New York were On 10 December, Tibetan Solidarity accompanied by rallies across the Day was marked across the world with globe. In Europe, crowds gathered in demonstrations and rallies in support of Tibetan independence. The Day Brussels in front of the European High comes after a period of heightened Commission, as well as in Amsterdam unrest in Tibet, characterized by a wave and Barcelona. A small vigil was of self-immolations protesting Chinese held in Moscow, while across India policies. Over the last three years 95 Tibetan monastic and lay people have set themselves on fire in an effort to bring attention to Chinese Human Rights violations. Thirty-three of them occurred Protesters in New York on December 10th in November Tibetans and their supporters held and December of this year. On Sunday 9 December, thousands vigils and marches. The impact of the self-immolations of Tibetans and their supporters rallied in New York at Daj Hammerskjold has reached beyond the Tibetan plaza outside the United Nations community, as policymakers in the and in front of the Chinese embassy. European Union and United States A Tibetan delegation, led by exile have reacted to the issue over the past Tibetan MPs Mr Norbu Tsering few weeks. Catherine Ashton, the EU High and Mr Tashi Namgyal, delivered a petition to the Office of the UN High Representative, issued a statement Commissioner for Human Rights calling for the Chinese “to address the signed by some 351,000 people from deep-rooted causes of the frustration more than 90 countries demanding of the Tibetan people” while also that the UN fulfill the resolutions calling on Tibetans to “refrain from passed in 1959, 1960, and 1965, send resorting to extreme forms of protest, a fact finding mission to Tibet, and such as self-immolation.” Members of the European ensure that the “basic aspirations of the Tibetan people are fulfilled.” The Parliament have also called for the Continued on page 4