Dharamshala: - The Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile based in India Northern hill town, Dharamshala Wednesday expressed solidarity with self-immolators, including three within this month alone and highlighted the grievances of the Tibetan people inside Tibet.
The Parliament in exile condoled and expressed solidarity with Sangye Khar, 34, Tsepe Kyid, 20, and Ven Kelsang Yeshe, 38, who set themselves on fire in protest against the unjust policies of the Chinese government on December 16, 22 and 23 respectively.
The Parliament has strongly condemned the abusive Chinese policies and further urged the Chinese government to investigate the real causes of the self-immolation protests and address the grievances of the Tibetan people.
"The Chinese government constantly criticises and intimidates the friends and families of the Tibetan self-immolators. They accuse the self-immolators of being of unsound mind, who commits self-immolation under instigation from others," the exiled parliament said.
The Chinese authorities "also explain that the self-immolations were a result of domestic problems. These allegations are totally outrageous and undermines the conviction of the Tibetan people and the brutality of their sufferings," the statement reads.
"Instead of addressing the grievances of the Tibetan people, the Chinese government resorts to intimidation to clampdown on the Tibetan people's basic human rights. They threaten the families of the self-immolators, depriving them of basic necessities and accuse them of murder," it said.
The Parliament appealed to the international community to urge the Chinese government to end its repressive policies in Tibet. It also called on countries and parliaments across the world to pass resolutions denouncing the repressive policies of the Chinese authorities.
This incident brought the total verified number of self-immolations in Tibet to 135 since February, 2009 and of them 116 have reportedly died from their severe burn injuries while the status of the rest remains unknown.
