Self-Immolation in Tibet

http://www.indianexpress.com/news/
another-tibetan-sets-himself-on-fire-in-china/910077/1

Along with constantly reading scholarly articles and books, a new addition to my 2012 habits is occasionally checking the news.  Working full-time and going to graduate school full-time doesn't make for prime quality "news-checking," but I've still made an effort to stay minimally informed.  For the past four years I've been in school full-time and working, so news-checking really is a relatively new habit.  Through writing my literature review and studying for this Tibetan class, I've definitely accidentally acquired a feeling of responsibility to stay more current, well really, less ignorant.  


While searching self-immolation in Tibet after reading a few chapters in Tibet, Tibet I discovered that in the past few weeks there have been at least three self-immolations among the Tibetan monks and nuns in Tibet.
I read three articles on the recent demonstrations:


Another Tibetan sets himself on fire in China

• Another Tibetan has set himself on fire in western China to protest government policies while thousands marched in another part of China to show support for their exiled spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama.

Teenage Tibetan nun sets herself on fire in China

http://www.indianexpress.com/news/teenage
-tibetan-nun-sets-herself-on-fire-in-china/911459/1

• An 18-year-old Tibetan nun has set herself on fire in western China in the latest such protest against Beijing's handling of the vast ethnic Tibetan regions it rules, an overseas activist group said.

Shadow of suicides over Tibetan New Year

• 40-year-old monk at the Bongtak monastery in Qinghai

All three articles were within the month and have some similarities, as well as some differences in the reported information.

They are similar in that all three articles discussed the fact that "the government has blamed overseas groups for the unrest, and said the measures were in response to 'secessionists led by the Dalai Lama [who] appeared more determined to plot conspiracies this year'" (http://www.thehindu.com/news/international/article2920441.ece).  The "government" referred to in the articles is the Chinese government.  All three articles relay the fact that the government blames the Dalai Lama for the self-immolations.

They all differed, however, on their reports of the number of self-immolation protests.  One article said there have been 25, 16 of which are confirmed by the government.  Another article claimed that 18 "monks, nuns and ordinary Tibetans have set themselves on fire over the past year," 12 of which resulted in dead (http://www.indianexpress.com/news/teenage-tibetan-nun-sets-herself-on-fire-in-china/911459/2). And lastly, the third article reported at least 17 monks, nuns, and Tibetans haveset themselves on fire (http://www.indianexpress.com/news/another-tibetan-sets-himself-on-fire-in-china/910077/1).  In this article, the author alludes to the idea that the government is unwilling to admit that other reported self-immolations took place.  The author said there "were reports of three other self-immolations on Friday" that the government denies.  The differences in these reported numbers is not a result of articles being more recent or dated--simply different reports.  It was disturbing to read that the government doesn't acknowledge all of the self-immolations, and it leaves me with a desire to continue researching.

Overall, it's shocking and sad to read of the demonstrations in Tibet.  There is definite unrest among the Tibetans at having been denied the right to truly practice their religion and culture, in addition to having their leader and people exiled to another country.  It's unjust that just persists because it's on another continent, and the people are in a vulnerable position.