Date of Self-immolation: Late March/early April, 2013
Location: Kyegudo (Chinese: Yushu)
Age: Early Forties
Current whereabouts/wellbeing: Unknown
Slogans: Not reported
Info: Kunchok Tsomo self-immolated in late March in protest over the planned destruction of her home in Kyegudo, (Chinese: Yushu), in Qinghai, according to Radio Free Asia’s Tibetan service. On April 14, 2010, a 6.9-magnitude earthquake struck the area, killing 2,698 and leaving 100,000 homeless according to the official count. Kunchok Tsomo’s home was among those destroyed by the local authorities as part of the process of rebuilding Yushu as a ‘new city’ following the earthquake. She survived, and is under close official supervision, according to Tibetan sources. She is the third Tibetan from Kyegudo to self-immolate over land-rights issues involved in the reconstruction following the earthquake.
According to a Tibetan source, armed police arrived on the scene of Kunchok Tsomo’s self-immolation quickly and extinguished the flames, and removed her to hospital. She was given urgent medical treatment and recovered, according to the same source. She is now back in her home town and under close official scrutiny. It is not known if her land was returned to her or not.
Source: RFA Tibetan (4 April, 2013)