Name: Sonam

Age: 24

Sex: Male

Profession: Nomad

Date of Self-immolation: 19 April 2012

Location: Barma Township in the Tibetan area of Dzamthang County, Ngaba, Amdo, Northeastern Tibet

Current whereabouts/wellbeing: Deceased same day Last Testament: Below

Name: Choepak Kyap

Age: 25

Sex: Male

Profession: Nomad

Date of Self-immolation: 19 April 2012

Locations: Barma Township in the Tibetan area of Dzamthang County, Ngaba, Amdo, Northeastern Tibet

Current whereabouts/wellbeing: Deceased same day Last Testament: Below

At around 1 pm on 19 April 2012 Sonam and Choepak Kyap set themselves on fire in the vicinity of a local government office in Barma Township, near Jonang Dzamthang Gonchen Monastery. The two young Tibetans were related (Choepak was Sonam’s uncle) and from a nomadic background. Immediately following their actions local Tibetans surrounded the two men to prevent them from being beaten and dragged away by security personnel. Sonam and Choepak succumbed to their injuries a few hours after their protest. The Tibetans then carried their bodies to the nearby Dzamthang Jonang Monastery so prayers and funeral services could be held.

This was their last testament: Tibetans are a people who have a unique culture and spiritual tradition. They are compassionate and treat others with respect. However, after the Chinese occupation, Tibetans suffer without basic human rights. It is for this reason, and in order for peace to prevail on earth, we offer our lives by setting ourselves on fire. The suffering of Tibetans without basic human rights is far worse than the suffering that we endure when we set ourselves on fire. “Our cherished parents, family members and relatives, it is not that we do not have love and affection towards you. With equanimity we have taken this decision to set ourselves on fire for Tibet’s freedom, for the Buddha Dharma, for the happiness of all living beings and for world peace. “You must do as we have written – even if we are taken away by the Chinese. Do not do anything; we will be happy if nobody gets harmed because of us. Do not be sad for us; listen to scholars, lamas and khenpos. If you want to be scholars then make sure to take the right path, have affection for your race and by learning about our culture you must remain united. If you do all this then our wishes will be fulfilled. We earnestly hope that our wishes will be carried out.”
(Translated from Tibetan by Bhuchung D. Sonam)

Name: Atse

Age: 25

Sex: Female

Profession: Nun

Date of Self-immolation: 6 April 2012

Location: Dzogchen Monastery in Eastern Tibet

Current whereabouts/wellbeing: Deceased

Slogans: Not reported

Name: Tulku Athup aka Thubten Nyendak Rinpoche

Tulku Thupten Nyendak

Age: 45

Sex: Male

Profession: Monk

Date of Self-immolation: 6 April 2012

Location: Dzogchen Monastery in Eastern Tibet

Current whereabouts/wellbeing: Deceased

Slogans: Not reported

Reincarnate lama Tulku Athup — alias Thubten Nyandak Rinpoche — 45, and his niece, Atse, 25, self-immolated at the former’s residence in Dzogchen Monastery in Kham Province on 6 April 2012. A few days before the immolation, Tulku Athup had said that he would offer butter lamps for all those who have self-immolated for the cause of Tibet. He also told his students to engage in meritorious acts such as saving the lives of animals. On the day of his immolation, he called up his family and reportedly said, “Today I feel at ease and am ending my life by offering butter lamps for all those Tibetans who have set themselves on fire for the cause of Tibet”. Immediately after making the call, he and his niece set themselves ablaze. Chinese police from Dartsedo immediately arrived at Dzogchen Monastery. Fearing closure of the monastery, monk officials told the police that Tulku Athup and his niece had died due to an accidental fire in the house rather than by self-immolation. Chinese police then withdrew from the monastery. Since then the authorities have imposed severe restrictions across the region and cracked down on local Tibetans, leaving many of them severely injured. Due to this complication in the story, this case of self-immolation went unreported for almost a year. Tulku Athup joined Lhakang Dragkhar Monastery in Minyak, Kham, at a young age and later studied at Drepung Monastery in Lhasa and Kirti Monastery in Ngaba.

His slogans: Not reported

Name: Tenpa Dhargey

Age: 22

Sex: Male

Profession: Monk at Tsodun Kirti Monastery

Date of Self-immolation: 30 March 2012

Location: Barkham, Ngaba, Amdo, Northeastern Tibet

Current whereabouts/wellbeing: Deceased 7 April

Tenpa Dhargey and Chime Palden travelled around 80 km from Gyalrong Tsodun Kirti Monastery in Tsodun Township to immolate themselves in Barkham. Barkham is the government headquarters of both Barkham County and the Ngaba Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture. The two monks carried out their protest outside the prefectural government offices. Both monks were transported by Chinese security personnel to a nearby prefecture hospital and held under strict security. The following day, 31 March, Chime Palden was declared dead by the hospital. His body was cremated immediately and the Chinese authorities handed over his ashes to Tsodun Monastery. Chime Palden had moved to Kirti Monastery in Ngaba as a philosophy student in 2009, but stayed only a few months. In 2010, when he was visiting Lhasa, policemen found images of the Dalai Lama, a picture of the Tibetan national flag and the lyrics of a Tibetan song on his phone, for which he was detained for more than a month. On 7 April 2012, around 9:23 am (local time), Tenpa Dhargey died in hospital from burn injuries sustained during their self-immolation protest. According to a statement released by Kirti Monastery in Dharamshala, “Although fervent requests were made to hand over the deceased’s body to the family and the monastery, the Chinese authorities cremated Tenpa Dhargey’s body at around one in the afternoon.” His ashes and last remains were handed over at around 4 pm. The release added, “When his remains were being carried to Tsodun Kirti Monastery, three large military vehicles tailed them.” Tenpa Dhargey studied philosophy at Kirti Monastery from 2003-2009 and returned to Tsodun where he was regarded as one of the best students in logic and debate class. He was the youngest in a family of four brothers and sisters.

His slogans: Not reported

Name: Tenpa Dhargey

Age: 22

Sex: Male

Profession: Monk at Tsodun Kirti Monastery

Date of Self-immolation: 30 March 2012

Location: Barkham, Ngaba, Amdo, Northeastern Tibet

Current whereabouts/wellbeing: Deceased 7 April

Tenpa Dhargey and Chime Palden travelled around 80 km from Gyalrong Tsodun Kirti Monastery in Tsodun Township to immolate themselves in Barkham. Barkham is the government headquarters of both Barkham County and the Ngaba Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture. The two monks carried out their protest outside the prefectural government offices. Both monks were transported by Chinese security personnel to a nearby prefecture hospital and held under strict security. The following day, 31 March, Chime Palden was declared dead by the hospital. His body was cremated immediately and the Chinese authorities handed over his ashes to Tsodun Monastery. Chime Palden had moved to Kirti Monastery in Ngaba as a philosophy student in 2009, but stayed only a few months. In 2010, when he was visiting Lhasa, policemen found images of the Dalai Lama, a picture of the Tibetan national flag and the lyrics of a Tibetan song on his phone, for which he was detained for more than a month. On 7 April 2012, around 9:23 am (local time), Tenpa Dhargey died in hospital from burn injuries sustained during their self-immolation protest. According to a statement released by Kirti Monastery in Dharamshala, “Although fervent requests were made to hand over the deceased’s body to the family and the monastery, the Chinese authorities cremated Tenpa Dhargey’s body at around one in the afternoon.” His ashes and last remains were handed over at around 4 pm. The release added, “When his remains were being carried to Tsodun Kirti Monastery, three large military vehicles tailed them.” Tenpa Dhargey studied philosophy at Kirti Monastery from 2003-2009 and returned to Tsodun where he was regarded as one of the best students in logic and debate class. He was the youngest in a family of four brothers and sisters.

Name: Chime Palden

Age: 21

Sex: Male

Profession: Monk at Tsodun Kirti Monastery

Date of Self-immolation: 30 March 2012

Location: Barkham, Ngaba, Amdo, Northeastern Tibet

Current whereabouts/wellbeing: Deceased 31 March

Name: Chime Palden

Age: 21

Sex: Male

Profession: Monk at Tsodun Kirti Monastery

Date of Self-immolation: 30 March 2012

Location: Barkham, Ngaba, Amdo, Northeastern Tibet

Current whereabouts/wellbeing: Deceased 31 March

Name: Lobsang Sherab

Age: 20

Sex: Male

Profession: Monk at Ganden Tenpeling Monastery

Date of Self-immolation: 28 March 2012, 7:10 pm (local time)

Location: Cha Township, Ngaba, Amdo, Northeastern Tibet

Current whereabouts/wellbeing: Deceased

His slogans: Not reported

Lobsang Sherab set himself on fire on the main road of Cha Township and died at the scene of his protest. According to monks from the exile-based Kirti Monastery in Dharamshala, India, paramilitary police in Ngaba removed Sherab’s body immediately following his self-immolation, ignoring pleas for his body to be handed over to his family. His corpse was never returned to his relatives. Sherab had been a monk at the small Ganden Tenpeling Monastery in Raruwa since the age of nine. In October 2011 he joined Kirti Monastery in Ngaba, but had returned home on 26 March 2012. According to a statement made by a Kirti monk in exile, “These days some 300 Chinese government officials in various positions and ranks are stationed at Kirti Monastery, and throughout Ngaba armed police and special duty police personnel maintain a security clampdown.” Sherab is survived by his parents, Sodon and Nyima, and three siblings.

Name: Lobsang Sherab

Age: 20

Sex: Male

Profession: Monk at Ganden Tenpeling Monastery

Date of Self-immolation: 28 March 2012, 7:10 pm (local time)

Location: Cha Township, Ngaba, Amdo, Northeastern Tibet

Current whereabouts/wellbeing: Deceased

His slogans: Not reported

Lobsang Sherab set himself on fire on the main road of Cha Township and died at the scene of his protest. According to monks from the exile-based Kirti Monastery in Dharamshala, India, paramilitary police in Ngaba removed Sherab’s body immediately following his self-immolation, ignoring pleas for his body to be handed over to his family. His corpse was never returned to his relatives. Sherab had been a monk at the small Ganden Tenpeling Monastery in Raruwa since the age of nine. In October 2011 he joined Kirti Monastery in Ngaba, but had returned home on 26 March 2012. According to a statement made by a Kirti monk in exile, “These days some 300 Chinese government officials in various positions and ranks are stationed at Kirti Monastery, and throughout Ngaba armed police and special duty police personnel maintain a security clampdown.” Sherab is survived by his parents, Sodon and Nyima, and three siblings.

Name: Sonam Dhargey

Age: 44

Sex: Male

Profession: Farmer

Date of Self-immolation: 17 March 2012 around 9:40 am

Location: At a road near Malho County, Rebkong, Northeastern Tibet

Current whereabouts/wellbeing: Deceased 17 March

His slogans: called for the right to study Tibetan, an end to China’s rule and the Dalai Lama’s return to Tibet

Sonam Dhargey, a father of three, self-immolated near the centre of Rongwo town in Rebkong, Amdo. He was the second Tibetan from the Rebkong area to set fire to himself in protest against the Chinese occupation of Tibet. Immediately following his immolation, images and footage were relayed showing thousands of Tibetans gathering to honour his act of protest. A video released by VOA shows the body of Sonam Dhargey engulfed in flames in the middle of the street in Rongwo town with thousands of Tibetans already congregating around him. Sonam, died almost immediately as he had reportedly swallowed kerosene and doused it over his body which was wrapped in cotton padding and bound with wire. Whilst still in flames Sonam was heard calling for the return of the Dalai Lama to Tibet, for Tibetan language rights and for an end to Chinese rule. His body was taken to Rongwo Monastery where several thousand people attended his funeral.

Name: Sonam Dhargey

Age: 44

Sex: Male

Profession: Farmer

Date of Self-immolation: 17 March 2012 around 9:40 am

Location: At a road near Malho County, Rebkong, Northeastern Tibet

Current whereabouts/wellbeing: Deceased 17 March

His slogans: called for the right to study Tibetan, an end to China’s rule and the Dalai Lama’s return to Tibet

Sonam Dhargey, a father of three, self-immolated near the centre of Rongwo town in Rebkong, Amdo. He was the second Tibetan from the Rebkong area to set fire to himself in protest against the Chinese occupation of Tibet. Immediately following his immolation, images and footage were relayed showing thousands of Tibetans gathering to honour his act of protest. A video released by VOA shows the body of Sonam Dhargey engulfed in flames in the middle of the street in Rongwo town with thousands of Tibetans already congregating around him. Sonam, died almost immediately as he had reportedly swallowed kerosene and doused it over his body which was wrapped in cotton padding and bound with wire. Whilst still in flames Sonam was heard calling for the return of the Dalai Lama to Tibet, for Tibetan language rights and for an end to Chinese rule. His body was taken to Rongwo Monastery where several thousand people attended his funeral.