Tibetan government in-exile holds photo exhibition in Dharamshala

The Tibetan government in-exile held an exhibition on self-immolations by Tibetans inside Tibet to inform the international community about the true plight of Tibetan people who reside under Chinese repression.

Tibet's Information and International Relations Minister in-exile, Dicky Chhoyang, inaugurated the exhibition at Tibet Museum in Dharamsala.

The exhibition consists of 27 panels in Tibetan, English and Hindi languages, documenting the aspirations, last words of the self-immolators and the reasons that lead them to self-immolate in protest.

Chhoyang said the Tibetan government in-exile wields a responsibility to invoke awareness about plight of Tibetans in Tibet among the international communities.

"For the Central Tibetan Administration ever since the self-immolations began, we have consistently appealed to the Tibetans inside Tibet not to resort to drastic forms of action. While the self-immolations continue, we have a moral responsibility to make sure that the international community understands the background," said Chhoyang.

 

The number of Tibetans who set themselves on fire to protest against the Chinese government's repressive rule has risen to 129, out of which 111 have died. The self-immolators have called for the return of the Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, to Tibet and freedom for Tibetans.

The Director of Tibet Museum, Tashi Phuntsok, said the photographs exhibited are widely censored by Chinese government.

"Due to the Chinese censorship most of these photographs are not available quite popularly in the various fields, media. So when people saw these photos especially outsiders, most of the Tibetans are aware about the situation inside the Tibet but outside people are not much aware about the situation. So when saw those photographs, were quite disturbed," he said.