Exiled Tibetans hold condolence prayer for woman self-immolator

Exiled Tibetans living in Dharamsala, Himachal Pradesh on Friday held a condolence prayer for Tashi Kyi, who immolated herself last week to protest against the oppressive Chinese rule in Tibetan Autonomous Region.

Tashi Kyi (55), a mother of five, set herself ablaze on August 27 after 150 officials and security personnel raided Ngura Village in China's Gansu province and claimed official rights to houses and destroyed property.

However, international media quoted unofficial sources who said the properties thus destroyed lacked valid permits and, therefore, belonged to the Chinese government.

Around hundreds of Tibetans, including ministers and parliamentarians-in-exile, justice commissioners and officials of the Central Tibetan Administrations had gathered for the

prayer meet in Dharamsala town.

Religion and Culture Minister Pema Chhinjor, officiating as the Prime Minister in-exile, extended condolence to the deceased's family members and offered prayers for her soul.

"This is the 142nd person to die by burning themselves, to protest in Tibet, (to express) that they are not happy in Tibet. So that is why we are here, to pray for her soul and sending condolence to her family members," Chhinjor said.

Self-immolation has been the most potent mode of registering discontent with Beijing's autocratic rule in Tibet.

Exiled Tibetans in Dharamsala had also held a candle light vigil to mourn Tashi Kyi's death on August 29, where they marched and recited prayers, joined by supporters and foreigners who believed in their cause.

China celebrated the 50th anniversary of the Tibetan Autonomous Region (TAR) on Tuesday (September 01), which it rules with an iron fist. The celebrations were opposed by exiled Tibetans in India, for whom the event was a cover-up by Chinese government to camouflage ground realities.

Since 2009, a resurgence of Tibetan identity can be seen with renewed demands for freedom from China's autocratic rule, with low-key initiatives being implemented to preserve the Tibetan language, clothing and Buddhist traditions.

China's official newspaper, Xinhua, quoted Premier Xi Jinping, on the issue of Tibet, as saying that China should "firmly take the initiative" in the fight against separatism, vowing to crack down on all activities seeking to separate the country and destroy social

Most parts of Tibet have remained under strict restrictions and controls for the past six decades, that China terms 'peaceful liberation'. Visits by foreign media tightly restricted, making an independent assessment of the situation difficult.