Dharamshala: - Tibetans and supporters held a candlelight vigil to express solidarity with Tibetans self-immolators, including Tsepe Kyid, a 20-year-old Tibetan woman who died after setting herself on fire to protest China's rule.
The vigil was held in McLeod Ganj town of Dharamshala, India, on December 23, 2014 and jointly organised by the Dharamshala based three Tibetan NGOs, namely the Students for free Tibet India, Regional Tibetan Youth Congress,and Regional Tibetan Woman' Association.
In a statement, the NGOs said: Tibetans and supporters in Dharamshala organise a special event today, "Light a Candle for Tsepe Kyid," with Buddhist prayer to pay their homage to the recent self-immolation by 19-year-old Tibetan woman, Tsepe Kyid.
Over hundred Tibetans and supporters attented the vigil. Ven Kanyak Tsering from Kirti Monastery based in Dharamshala, India briefed the gathering about the teenage girl who recently died of self-immolation protest against Chinese rule in Tibet. He said, "Tsepe had received no formal education and became a nomad."
"The main causes of the self immolations by Tibetans is the Chinese hard-line policies towards Tibetan people," he said, adding: "We join together here today to express our solidarity with Tsepe Kyid and her family members."
He said that the Tibet issue will not solve if China did not change the repressive policies in Tibet. "Freedom struggle for the Tibet will be continue through non-violence," he added.
"The news of yet another immolation and the loss of the Tsepe Kyid's life comes at a very difficult time but this is the reality that Tibetans are paying the cost of their lives for the basic freedom and human rights," the group said.
"The act of self immolation protest by Tibetans highlights for suffering of Tibetans people under the Chinese colonial rule for the past 55 years.Tibetans inside and exile are continued to fight for their freedom through non-violent means, but increasing repression and oppressive policies in Tibet have forced many Tibetans to resort to self immolation protest," the statement reads.
Sudeep, a SFT member from Mumbai, also spoke about Indian youth's support of Tibetan freedom movement.
A video footage showing Tsepe Kyid's self-immolation protest was screened at the end of the event.
The event was jointly organised by the Dharamshala based three Tibetan NGOs, namely the Students for free Tibet India, Regional Tibetan Youth Congress,and Regional Tibetan Woman' Association.
This incident brought the total verified number of self-immolations in Tibet to 134 since February, 2009 and of them 115 were reportedly passed-away from their severe injuries.
