འབྲེལ་གཏུགས་དུས་དེབ།
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www.contactmagazine.net 30 November 2012
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Volume: XIV Issue: 11
contact Magazine A Free Monthly Publication For Tibetan Issues & Community Information
Tibetan Self-Immolations Rises to 90 With sadness and regret we must report the following self-immolations. 30 Nov: Kunchok Kyab, 29, set himself on fire in Shagdom region in Ngaba. Chinese security personnel put out the fire and took him to regional headquarters in Barkham. It is not yet known whether he is dead or alive. According to Kirti Monastery, a large crowd is gathering to demand his return. Kunchok Kyab has two children, a nine-year-old and a sixyear-old. 29 Nov: Tsering Tashi, 31, a father of two, set himself on fire near the local Chinese government office in Luchu region. He is survived by his wife Choekyong Tso, their two children, Dorjee Kyi, 7, and Kalsang Dolma, 3, and his parents. This is the third self-immolation protest in Luchu region in the last ten days.
Tibet Support Groups gather in Dharamsala for International Summit
By Tenzin Dharpo & Caroline Couffinhal Various Tibet support groups, politicians, and journalists, including 20 Chinese delegates, gathered on the morning of November 16th for the opening of the Special International Meeting of Tibet Support Groups. The meeting, which took place within Dekyi Tsering Hall, Upper TCV, in Dharamsala, was organized by Core Group for Tibetan Cause – India and facilitated by Department of Information & International Relations (DIIR) of the Central Tibetan Administration. As announced in the press release distributed by the DIIR last week, this meeting, with more than 200 members of groups from 43 countries around the world, was aimed at identifying and developing a means to efficiently address the worsening situation in Tibet and the rising number of selfimmolations. Indeed, the number of selfimmolations is rapidly increasing, and this urgent meeting explored
ways to strengthen support from the international community and to pressure the Chinese government to stop all repressive policies inside the country that are provoking Tibetans to protest. Specifically, the meeting wishes to urge the United Nations to engage in and confront issues pertaining to the crisis in Tibet. At the opening session, a minute of silence was observed in memory of those who have sacrificed their lives. The director of Core Group for Tibetan Cause – India, Dr. NK Trikha, then opened the work session, calling the situation "urgent and critical" and declaring that there is "the imperative need for support groups to meet to coordinate their efforts in support of Tibet." Sikyong Dr Lobsang Sangay then thanked all the people who came from around the world to participate in this meeting. "By bringing together all Tibet support groups,” he said, “it is a strong message that we want to address, in Beijing, the message that Continued on page 7
28 Nov: Wangdhen Khar, 21 years of age, set himself on fire in Tsoe region of Kanlho. He is survived by his father Tsering Thar, mother Kunsang Dolma and his elder brother Jampa and younger brother Sangay Dhondup. Monks and local Tibetans have gathered at his home for prayers. 27 Nov: Sangay Tashi, 18, set himself on fire in Sangkog town of Sangchu region in Labrang. He had studied at a primary school for four years but Continued on page 6
Representatives from the Summit - Photo by Romain Buffi