Tibet, young father sets himself on fire and dies for Dalai Lama against Chinese regime
Dharamsala (AsiaNews / RFA) - A young Tibetan father of two set himself on fire and died, in protest against Chinese rule and calling for the return of the Dalai Lama to Tibet. Sources from the Tibetan government in exile reported the news to Radio Free Asia. The incident occurred yesterday in the Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture of Kanlho (Sangchu County, Gansu Province). Kunchok Kyab was 26 years old. Meanwhile, four monks of Kirti Monastery (Ngaba County, Sichuan Province) have been convicted for alleged involvement in previous self immolations. The penalties range from 2 to 10 years in prison.
Kunchok Kyab set himself on fire near the Bora monastery around lunchtime (local time). Shortly after his death, the Chinese police removed his body, resulting in protests by Tibetans present there. If the body is not be returned to the family, the population has threatened to stage more protests in front of the police station. The victim called Kunbai by friends and family, leaves a wife and two small children Dorjee and Tso. His self-immolation is the third since the beginning of 2013.
Meanwhile, news has spread of the conviction of some monks, guilty of having supported self immolations. The regime thinks that with repression it can stop this series of suicides, which is creating dismay and provoking criticism in the international community. The condemned monks are Lobsang Sangay (19), sentenced to six years; Asung (22), 2 years; Yarphel and Namsay, both 18 and sentenced to 10 years in prison. The four were arrested at the end of last August following a raid by Chinese forces on Kirti monastery, but news of the sentencing has only recently spread. "We did not know the reason for their detention - explain the monks in exile Tsering Kanyak and Lobsang Yeshi to RFA - until some local sources reported that are suspected of involvement in three other self immolations." Of the more than 100 Tibetans who since 2008 have chosen to set themselves on fire to protest against Chinese rule, many were monks from Kirti.
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