Tibet, a young carpenter sets himself on fire for Dalai Lama
Lhasa (AsiaNews)
- A Tibetan father of three children has self immolated to demand the return of
the Dalai Lama. Soman
Dargye, a carpenter of 40 years from Rongwo (Rebkong county, eastern Tibet),
set himself on fire on 17 March. The fact was recorded on
film. Three
days earlier, Jamyang Palden, a friend of man set himself on fire in protest. Local sources said
he is still alive.
After
the death of Somam Dargye, thousands of people took to the streets to protest
against Beijing's repression and demand the return of the Dalai Lama. Some
witnesses explained that this is one of the biggest events organized in recent
years. The
number of protesters has alarmed the police, who after an initial intervention
to stop the peaceful protest, preferred to remove the armored cars.
The
shocking images of the video show the man on fire. Around
him, some people cry, some pray in silence. Local
sources report that his family was shocked by the news, but they judge Somam's gesture
heroic and noble.
A
few days before his death he confided to some friends: "The Dalai Lama
must return to Tibet. If he returns, the problems of Tibet will be resolved. If
this does not happen we have no future. So we must do everything to ensure the
return of His Holiness. "
To
honor his sacrifice, the monks of Rongwo have allowed the remains of his body to
be burned in one of the places reserved for the cremation of the highest
Buddhist religious figures.
For
about a year in areas with Tibetan populations, successive demonstrations
against Chinese rule and self-immolation of Buddhist monks have been taking
place. Somam
is the 29th Tibetan to resort to self immolation to demand the return of the
Dalai Lama to Tibet.
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