Community Punished for Self-Immolations

 Woeser, Blogger and Activist based in Beijing

According to Tibetan blogger and activist Woeser’s tweet, a new set of regulations are being imposed by the Zoigê County People’s Government in Zoigê County (Tib: Dzoege), Aba (Tib:Ngaba) and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture in Sichuan where eight people self-immolated between 2012-2013. Many of them were monks and all but one was 24 or younger. Seven are confirmed dead; whereabouts of Sonam Dhargye, who was 17 when he set himself on fire, is unknown. 25-year-old Lobsang Dorje, a former monk, self-immolated in Ngaba on February 13.

“Every single one of the 16 “Notice of Provisional Anti-Self-Immolation Regulation is absurd and terrifying. Villages (districts) or temples where a self-immolation occurs must make a security deposit of 10,000-500,000 yuan into an anti-self-immolation fund”; “The immediate family of self-immolators will be denied permission to leave the country (border) or travel to the Tibet Autonomous Region for three years.” Tweeted Woeser.