Tibetans in exile gather for candlelit vigil in Dharamsala on Sunday
Various sources are reporting that a 27-year-old man in the Kham region of Eastern Tibet has self-immolated in protest of Chinese occupation. Wearing traditional Tibetan clothing and calling for the return of the Dalai Lama and the Karmapa, the man, named Yungdrun, set himself alight in the town of Toegey, Dzatoe, on Saturday.
According to reports, nearby shop owners doused the young man with water to put out the flames. Chinese police rushed to the scene and removed Yungdrun from view. His location is unknown, though sources in the region say he has died.
The Tibet Post reports that a Chinese cultural festival had been scheduled for later on Saturday; the festival was canceled after the immolation. Phayul reports that a few days earlier, Tibetans in the region had been forced to participate in a Chinese propaganda film to show that Tibetans were happy under Chinese rule.
More than 50 Tibetans have self-immolated since 2009.
Photo via thetibetpost.com.
