Dharamshala: - Hundreds of Tibetans and supporters in Dharamshala gathered Thursday to hold candlelight vigil prayer to show solidarity with the two Tibetan Buddhist monks, who died after setting themselves ablaze in Tibet to protest against Chinese failed Tibet policies.
The vigil prayer was held in front of the memorial pillar for Tibetan martyrs, near the main Tibetan temple and organised by three Tibetan NGOs in Dharamshala, India; Students for a free Tibet-India, Regional Tibetan Youth Congress and Regional Tibetan Women's Association.
"its an urgent prayer and protest to condemn China's inhuman violence and repression in Tibet which further caused two more self immolations on Wednesday," said the organisers.
The two monks; Kunchok Woeser, 20 and Lobsang Dawa, 23 set themselves on fire at 6:40 pm (local time) near the main prayer hall of the Taktsang Lhamo Monastery in Ngaba county of Tibet to protest against China's repressive policies on Tibet. Both of them passed-away on the same, pushed the death toll to atleast 100.
Shortly after the incidents, Local Chinese authorities have issued orders for the cremation of the two monks by the next day.
"Even after 117 self immolations the international community continues to benefit from China trade taking advantage of the dictatorship in China, said. Tenzin Tsundue, Regional Tibetan Youth Congress-Dharamshala.
"How many more sacrifices will it cost to open the hearts of corporate giants and heads of state," he asked.
"The tragic incident of continuous self immolations inside Tibet highlight China's repressive rule in Tibet and how Tibetans are pushed to such an extreme and heart breaking acts of Protest to call for help," said Dorjee Tseten, National Director-Students for a free Tibet-India.
"This demands immediate and multilateral action by world governments to end the crisis in Tibet," Dorjee Tseten added.
"In 2008, following a series of anti-China protests across Ngaba region, local Chinese authorities had indefinitely closed down a school run by Taktsang Lhamo Kirti Monastery," the NGOs said in their statement.
The Tibetan NGOs said the "primary reason for its closure was cited as participation by a number of students of Taktsang Lhamo Kirti Monastery in the March 15th protest along with other senior monks of the monastery at the Dzoge county headquarters."
Since 2009, as many as 117 Tibetans living under China's rule have set themselves on fire demanding freedom and the return of His Holiness the Dalai Lama from to his homeland.
