Tibetan woman dies of burning protest in Rebkong

A Tibetan woman has died after staging a burning protest in Rebkong (Ch: Tongren) County taking the total self-immolation toll in the County to eight Tibetans in this month alone, according to information received by TCHRD.

Chakmo Kyi, whose age is not clear at the time of reporting, died after she set herself on fire at Dolma Square in front of Rongwo Monastery in Rebkong County, Malho (Ch: Huangnan) Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Qinghai Province.

Kyi, a mother of two, set herself on fire today at around 4 pm (local time) and died on the scene, according to sources. Her body was taken to Rongwo Monastery where thousands of Tibetans, both lay and monastic, gathered to offer prayers.

At around 7 pm (local time), Kyi’s body was moved to a cremation site on a nearby hill behind Rongwo Monastery. At the cremation site, a large number of Tibetans were loudly reciting Mani mantras and special prayers associated with His Holiness the Dalai Lama. Monks were carrying out preparations to cremate the body.

Sources also say Rongwo town is full of armed security forces, including People’s Armed Police, patrolling the area day and night. Restrictions have increased with the latest self-immolation and local Tibetans, quoted by sources, say they expect the situation to get worse in the coming days.

Chakmo Kyi was the daughter of Dugjam and Dotso in Mepa Khagya Village in Rebkong County. Kyi became the eight Tibetan to die of self-immolation in the last two weeks in Rebkong.