XPost: alt.philosophy.zen, alt.religion.buddhism.tibetan, cn.culture.buddhism   
   XPost: talk.religion.buddhism, uk.religion.buddhist   
   From: peter.terpstra7@gmail.com   
      
   Why Do Tibetans Self-Immolate?   
      
   A commentary by Tsering Woeser   
   2014-06-06   
      
   Tsering Woeser, one of 10 Women of Courage honored by the U.S. State   
   Department last year, has used her blog, Invisible Tibet, together with her   
   poetry,   
   historical research and social media platforms like Twitter, to give voice to   
   millions of ethnic Tibetans who are prevented from expressing themselves to the   
   outside   
   world by government curbs on information. In commentaries for RFA, Woeser   
   continues to document Tibetan life under the ruling Chinese Communist Party in   
   the Himalayan region. In a recent essay broadcast through the Mandarin   
   Service, she focuses on the motivating factors behind the recent wave of self-   
   immolations:   
      
   Of the Tibetans who have self-immolated so far, 51 have left words behind for   
   the record, whether in the form of a handwritten note, a voice recording or   
   messages left with friends and family. Of these, 46 are dead, and the fate of   
   the other three remains unknown.   
      
   [Others] have set light to themselves while shouting slogans like "Let His   
   Holiness the Dalai Lama return to Tibet!" and "Freedom for Tibet!" or   
   "Independence   
   for   
   Tibet!"   
      
   Such last words form the basis of an understanding of why Tibetans   
   self-immolate, and there are [a number] of categories:   
      
   1. Calling on the international community to support Tibet.   
      
   Only three self-immolators mention help from the outside world, and two of   
   them were outside Tibet, so this category is the smallest. Calling on the   
   international   
   community for help and support for the Tibetan problem has always been one of   
   the goals of Tibetans in exile, and is a central strategy of the leadership and   
   agencies of the government-in-exile. Many of the self-immolators don't even   
   mention it.   
      
   2. The importance of the Tibetan language to Tibetans.   
      
   Many self-immolators speak of protecting the Tibetan tongue, which reflects   
   the huge dissatisfaction and anxiety relating to [Beijing's policies on]   
   language.   
      
   A female high school student shouted slogans protesting against the emphasis   
   on Chinese-medium instruction in Tibetan schools. A few days after she self-   
   immolated, thousands of Tibetan secondary and teaching college students took   
   to the streets calling for ethnic equality, language equality and regional   
   independence. Eight months later, Kalsang Jinpa left the last words "Keep the   
   Tibetan language going." The next day, thousands of Tibetan students held   
   marches   
   and rallies, calling for ethnic equality and linguistic freedom.   
      
   3. Self-immolators don't primarily act out of desperation.   
      
   Another quite popular belief (which Tibet's exiled political leaders have   
   declared) is that self-immolation by Tibetans is a desperate choice made in   
   the face of an   
   intolerable situation. This factor does exist, but not in the case of most   
   self-immolators, so it shouldn't be regarded as the main explanation for the   
   act of self-   
   immolation.   
      
   4. Self-immolation as protest.   
      
   It is clear that a number of self-immolations involved words of protest   
   against the authorities, and demands. But a lot of other people who   
   self-immolated shouted   
   slogans like "Let His Holiness the Dalai Lama come back to Tibet," "Freedom   
   for Tibet" or "Release the 11th Panchen Lama." Even in the case of self-   
   immolators   
   who left no message or shouted no slogans, demands and protest are implied in   
   the very act of setting fire to oneself.   
      
   5. On Tibetan independence.   
      
   More than 10 self-immolators called for Tibetan independence, or for Tibet to   
   be recognized as an independent sovereign state. If we add in the eight who   
   left no   
   note but who died shouting slogans for Tibetan independence, and another four   
   who set fire to themselves while holding the Tibetan national flag, then the   
   proportion of self-immolators wanting independence rises.   
      
   This reflects the growing trend for a pro-independence attitude among Tibetans   
   under Chinese rule, since 2008.   
      
   6. Emphasizing national identity, or calling for unity within Tibetan ranks.   
      
   [Some] last words call for solidarity, mainly for the differences between the   
   different Tibetan regions or sectarian, tribal and land disputes—especially   
   those over   
   the grasslands—to be resolved.   
      
   7. As the best possible embodiment of Tibetan spiritual strength.   
      
   Most self-immolations express courage and commitment to the cause. They are a   
   way to experience personal heroism. It is a way of defending our dignity,   
   sharing the pain, inspiring courage and an expression of ideas of   
   self-sublimation like Nirvana.   
      
   Typical last words of this type have included: "They think we are afraid of   
   military repression, but they are wrong," "I ignite my body for the   
   immeasurable grace   
   of Tibetans," "I set fire to myself for the dignity of Tibetans," "I am   
   willing to bear all the pain and the suffering of sentient beings," and "I am   
   willing to contribute   
   my own flesh and blood to show my support and respect."   
      
   These sorts of last words are expressive of the most precious spirituality of   
   the Tibetan people.   
      
   8. As a form of religious worship and a boycott of the Chinese Communist Party.   
      
   Two people self-immolated as a pledge to the Dalai Lama. The second of them   
   was as a form of religious devotion, so his life might embody the Buddhist   
   belief   
   in   
   acquiring merit.   
      
   In Soba Rinpoche's suicide note, there are prayers for the long life and good   
   health of the Dalai Lama and all sentient beings. For many Tibetans, such   
   religious   
   urges have become a driving force for self-immolation.   
      
   9. As a kind of action.   
      
   Self-immolators see their self-immolation as a form of action. This is the   
   largest of all the categories. There was a peak of self-immolations around the   
   18th Party   
   Congress [in November 2012], as self-immolators hoped through their sacrifice   
   to achieve some sort of resolution of the Tibet issue. This isn't just an   
   expression   
   of protest or of desperation.   
      
   Tibetans, instead of living in exile or passively waiting for the   
   international community to resolve the Tibet issue, have finally awakened to   
   the need for self-   
   reliance.   
      
   As to whether the act of self-immolation will really help solve the issue of   
   Tibet, they do not know.   
      
      
   [continued in next message]   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)