10,000 Tibetans Gather at Monastery Where Nun Set Herself on Fire to Protest Chinese Rule
- Posted on November 6, 2011 at 7:46pm by
Christopher Santarelli
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(The Blaze/ AP) A Tibetan rights group said Sunday that around 10,000 Tibetans were reportedly gathered around a monastery in western China where a nun set herself on fire last week in apparent protest against Chinese rule.
The 35-year-old Buddhist nun died Thursday in predominantly Tibetan Ganzi prefecture in Sichuan province. Al Jazeera English on the 11th Tibetan monk, nun or former monk to self-immolate in western China in recent months:
New York-based Students for a Free Tibet said in an emailed statement Sunday that around 10,000 Tibetans from across Sichuan had reportedly gathered around the Tawu Nyitso monastery to pay their respects to the nun, whom they identified as Palden Choetso, while around 1,000 monks and nuns were holding prayers inside. State-run Xinhua News Agency last week identified the 35-year-old woman as Qiu Xiang.
“The streets are crawling with Chinese security personnel. A cinema hall near the monastery has been turned into an army base housing up to 2,000 troops. The whole town is under siege,” Tawu Lobsang Jinpa was quoted as saying in the statement. The group identified him as a former political prisoner from Tawu who escaped to India in February.
It was impossible to verify the claims. A woman with the government of Daofu county, where the monastery is located, said she was not clear about the incident and hung up. Calls to the county’s Public Security Bureau rang unanswered. Residents in the area contacted by phone said they did not see any gathering and that there was no unusual police presence.
The nine men and two women who have set themselves on fire since March were seen as having acted in protest to Chinese restrictions on the Tibetan religion and culture. At least six died of their injuries, while the condition of the others is not known.
Most ignited the flames while calling for Tibetan freedom and the return of the Dalai Lama, who fled to India amid an abortive uprising against Chinese rule in 1959.
China claims Tibet has always been part of its territory, but many Tibetans say the Himalayan region was virtually independent for centuries.
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Comments (57)
CottonMPG
Posted on November 7, 2011 at 3:38pmWell….that was stupid. I’m sorry, but that just seems counter productive. If she doesn’t like the rulers she should have been a thorn in their flesh but instead she gets herself out of their way. I’m sure they are glad to have one less malcontent nun around. Also, it is a sin to kill yourself. Too bad the muslims don’t decide to follow her example though.
Report Post »Nanaswords
Posted on November 7, 2011 at 3:28pmThe ANGUISH on the faces of these women tells it all !!! Their expressions and body positions give it all away. Nothing like our “sit-ins” tent dwellers across our country today ! Put those pictures up against the one here of these women ! I see complete collapse of self worth and No Hope. We should continue to trade with that country..take out Loans from them ? What have our leaders come to ? Nothing will be sucessful for us as a nation if we continue to “USE” these people and their suffering. The method Will justify the End . This scene is part of our Wake-Up call America !
Report Post »scoter
Posted on November 7, 2011 at 1:33pmhttp://www.helpfireobama.com Please give $20.12
Report Post »thegreatcarnac
Posted on November 7, 2011 at 10:28amShe burnt herself to death for nothing. The Chinese saw it as one less opponent. China will not leave Tibet without being forced out.
Report Post »teddrunk
Posted on November 7, 2011 at 10:11amThe Obama Communist Administration is bringing all this wonderful China-like human rights ideas to our shores.
Report Post »DeOppressoLiber
Posted on November 7, 2011 at 10:05amThe Dali Lama said he was a Marxist so he should be happy with China. You can not have it both ways; freedom/liberty and socialism/communism do not go together. You know we supported a Tibet resistance movement from 1955-1972, to bad it is not still going on.
http://www.agreatdeception.com
Report Post »http://www.theshugdengroup.wordpress.com
V-MAN MACE
Posted on November 7, 2011 at 9:39amOm Mani Padme Hum.
Report Post »Mercy2011
Posted on November 7, 2011 at 7:58am@Republicorp…Thank you!
Report Post »jam ustigran
Posted on November 7, 2011 at 6:22amsigh…The chineese womans army is the same population as our whole country.
Report Post »TRUTHandFREEDOM
Posted on November 7, 2011 at 5:28amAlthough there are better ways of drawing focus to an issue, the act did make us aware of this issue again by bringing all of these protestors out and by having the rare and honest news source (such as the Blaze) actually report on it. I’ve seen some posts here that compare this to OWS, but I think that this one is more like the Tea Party. They want their freedom. They are not living in the street and demanding that others pay their self established debts like OWS.
Report Post »welovetheUSA
Posted on November 7, 2011 at 2:22amI go out of my way not to buy things from China…………………..their human rights are right there with Africa..Iran..Russia…………we donot need these animals.
Report Post »wbaranowski
Posted on November 7, 2011 at 2:08amOWS immolators – strut your stuff.
Report Post »lukerw
Posted on November 6, 2011 at 11:36pmMinus one, more! Do you think the Chinese… of MaoLand… care?
Report Post »Patrick Henry
Posted on November 7, 2011 at 1:58amLuke was she the Sister of the man in Tunisa?
Report Post »disagreeableness
Posted on November 6, 2011 at 11:04pmjust imagine if the American Indians……
Report Post »1947
Posted on November 6, 2011 at 9:51pmI saw the same thing in VietNam and to this date I guess it’s their life system or a family thing to BURN one self.
Report Post »AhLeahIris
Posted on November 6, 2011 at 11:00pmI don’t know. Seems a bit painful. Is this based on some notion of punishing others by inflicting pain on themselves? If so, I wish the Democrats would adopt the approach.
Punish me. Punish me hard.
Report Post »lukerw
Posted on November 7, 2011 at 1:24amYes… but the Audience for VietNam was America… and we are a Caring People!
Report Post »momrules
Posted on November 6, 2011 at 8:39pmI have never understood how burning yourself to death helps any cause, just cause or not. How will her death change the Communist Chinese government?
Report Post »I really am at a loss.
iamhungry
Posted on November 6, 2011 at 9:04pmTheir belief that their life last 1000s of births and deaths means that they look at death very differently to the West.
Report Post »Balpit
Posted on November 6, 2011 at 9:09pmIf they can casually walk past a little girl who’s been hit by two cars, I don‘t think they’d care about a woman setting herself on fire.
Report Post »Balpit
Posted on November 6, 2011 at 9:13pmIf they can just casually walk past a little girl who’s been mortally wounded by two cars, what makes you think they‘d give a rat’s butt about this woman?
Report Post »Thatsitivehadenough
Posted on November 6, 2011 at 9:34pmWe will all regret cozying up to China. They are presenting us all with a phoney facade. Underneath their facade lives an evil totalitarian heart.
Report Post »jzs
Posted on November 6, 2011 at 10:15pmWhy protest? Why gather together for a common cause against the reigning power? Why protest against segregation or the Vietnam war or against the a system that supports the richest 1% while creating an increasing number of abjectly poor and lowers the income of the middle class?
It’s pointless, because those in charge have all the power. These people should accept that China is in charge, and rule with an iron hand.
Report Post »Dennis Davis
Posted on November 6, 2011 at 10:20pmmomrules
Report Post »Posted on November 6, 2011 at 8:39pm
I have never understood how burning yourself to death helps any cause, just cause or not. How will her death change the Communist Chinese government?
I really am at a loss.
———————————-
Don’t be at a loss, Mom. This is exactly what happened to the South Vietnamese Government,
when we were trying to help them survive Communism.in 1961. It was either South Vietnamese President Ngo Dinh Diem, or his successor, Nguyen Van Thieu. In any case, the Buddhist Monks, began to immolate themselves on the city streets, and that in turn attracted more protesters.
This, however, I don’t think, will work on the Chinese. eg,Tiananmen Square
Dennis
RepubliCorp
Posted on November 7, 2011 at 2:08amI sent Obama a can of gas….
Report Post »Joyce D
Posted on November 6, 2011 at 8:39pmYou guys should learn about how the Tibet religious class kept the serfs as slaves. The Dali Lama is a fraud and search out how Christopher Hitchens exposed him. China freed thousands from the slavery of serving the monks.
Report Post »Dennis Davis
Posted on November 6, 2011 at 10:43pmJoyce D
Report Post »Posted on November 6, 2011 at 8:39pm
You guys should learn about how the Tibet religious class kept the serfs as slaves. The Dali Lama is a fraud and search out how Christopher Hitchens exposed him. China freed thousands from the slavery of serving the monks.
—————————————————-
I‘d rather beieve O’bama than Christopher Hitchens.
What kind of weapons did the Monks, employ to keep all these thousands of people in slavery??
Did they beat their captives, with tibetan holy book, the Dzyan?
Dennis
iamhungry
Posted on November 7, 2011 at 1:25amDennis,
Report Post »I wouldn’t call the Dzyan, the Tibetan holy book. The teachings of Buddha, Guru Rinpoche and Lokesvara are the dearest teachings in most Tibetan’s hearts.
Joyce D
Posted on November 7, 2011 at 7:01amBod and Dennis I hope one of you will view the Youtube videos exposing the lies of the Dali Lama and then I will respond to you.
Report Post »Tokhtamysh
Posted on November 7, 2011 at 12:34pmIn other words, the Tibetans were under theocratic slavery then, and are under communist slavery now.
Report Post »bdandsl
Posted on November 6, 2011 at 8:31pmWhy do they think this is a good idea? May God have mercy on her soul.
Report Post »iamhungry
Posted on November 6, 2011 at 9:09pmDon’t worry. She will be reborn in a higher state due to the righteousness of her karma.
Report Post »This_Individual
Posted on November 6, 2011 at 9:32pmIAM, I hope your being sincere. If not, you are a disgusting human being to say something like that.
Report Post »Al J Zira
Posted on November 6, 2011 at 9:49pm@Imhungry: 3 words: No she won’t.
Report Post »iamhungry
Posted on November 6, 2011 at 9:49pmI was being completely sincere.
Report Post »Pigpen
Posted on November 6, 2011 at 8:28pmWell, what can we do? The elite political class is h3LLB3nt on trading with China. I guess Most Favored Nation Status for China is the ONLY decision by Richard Nixon that both the Left and the Right agree on. But seriously, am I the ONLY one who thinks it is a bad idea for the US to be in the current trade relationship with China? Shouldn’t we all instead be VERY vocal about the TRUTH which is that the Cold War NEVER ENDED? Wake up! We are in a COLD WAR with CHINA! China’s OFFICIAL foreign policy states that Thermonuclear War with the West (esp. America) is inevitable! INEVITABLE! That is why China built all of those underground bunkers! That is why the US developed the Excalibur missile delivery system–to convince China that their leadership won’t survive a nuclear war with the US by hiding in an undergournd bunker! Please, WAKE UP …aw, what’s the point? TheBlaze is just going to censor this post for being “hateful” or some cr@p like that…
Report Post »cromag11b
Posted on November 7, 2011 at 11:42am“elite political class is h3LLB3nt on trading with China.”
Report Post »Really? Its politicians moving whole companies to China? Its politicians paying millions to politicians to create the so called ‘free trade agreements’? Its the politicians moving corporate headquarters to third world/island countries to dodge taxes?
No, I would say its the wonderful ‘Job Creators’ you all like to spout about.
Johnny916
Posted on November 6, 2011 at 8:28pmThis is a very large number. Hopefully this will not (I doubt it) turn in to a terrible protest like Tiananmen massacre.
Report Post »vennoye
Posted on November 6, 2011 at 10:15pmI hope it does not escalate either, but then the vendor in tunisia started the whole “Arab Spring”.
Report Post »Psysam
Posted on November 6, 2011 at 8:20pmFree Tibet! Long live the Dali Lama!
Report Post »philipzhao
Posted on November 6, 2011 at 8:29pmIt was the People‘s Liberation Army which liberated Tibet from Dalai’s selfdom ! Read history!
Report Post »iamhungry
Posted on November 6, 2011 at 9:10pmYes, Philip. Which is why Tibetans protest against the Chinese and worship the Dalai Lama…
Report Post »Tokhtamysh
Posted on November 7, 2011 at 12:36pmThe Tibetans were merely transferred from one variety of serfdom to another,
Report Post »cassandra
Posted on November 6, 2011 at 8:16pmthe OWS protesters should live in china and see what a communist country is like if they want one so bad
Report Post »crabbyoldman
Posted on November 6, 2011 at 8:05pmobama, a “peace” prize winner dosen’t care. He needs Chinas $$$$$$.
Report Post »Stoic one
Posted on November 6, 2011 at 8:03pmhmn..
Report Post »Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}
Posted on November 6, 2011 at 7:55pmSo why is Mr Obama the self-delusional great one not supporting their cries for freedom like he did in Libya? Oh…yes that is right, he ignores them like with Iranina protesters (the real ones) and in Syria due to the fact no extremists are there with them to impose a Sharia law governence…figures…
When this movement in China turns bloody once again, and we see another Tienaman Square style of massacre, the blood shall be on Mr Obama’s hands.
Report Post »progressiveslayer
Posted on November 6, 2011 at 7:58pmHe is indeed a vile man bent on destroying capitalism and 2012 can’t come soon enough to rid us of this disgrace of a president.
Report Post »crabbyoldman
Posted on November 6, 2011 at 8:03pmWhat do you expect from a “peace”prize winner?
Report Post »sissykatz
Posted on November 6, 2011 at 8:20pmSnow
Good post. You are right on. Lord please help us make it without
Report Post »much violence and problems until the 2012 elections. I so hope
we some how can keep the election from being corrupted by
Soros and the Obama Team. I don’t think Obama can win the
reelection if it is done acurately. But I am scared to death of all
the illegal things his thugs will do. I am betting this will be the
dirtiest election ever.
iamhungry
Posted on November 6, 2011 at 9:11pmSnowleopard, What would you have Obama do? Invade China?
Report Post »cromag11b
Posted on November 7, 2011 at 11:44amActually its simpler: Tibet has no oil.
Report Post »iamhungry
Posted on November 7, 2011 at 3:30pm@Cromag11b, It might not have oil but it has huge deposits of numerous metals, including gold. The Chinese name for Tibet means “Western Treasure House” due to it’s mining potential.
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