A 32-year-old Tibetan dies in a blaze to protest Chinese occupation

Thinley Namgyal, who died from his burns, is the 131st person to choose self-immolation as a form of protest. Associations of Tibetans in exile hold a vigil in his memory.

China

April 16, 2014

Dharamsala (AsiaNews) - Thinley Namgyal, a 32-year-old Tibetan man, set himself on fire yesterday to demand an end to China's occupation of Tibet.

After he succumbed to his injuries, his body was taken to the Gangthel Monastery and then returned to the family, this according to Tawu Lobsang Jinpa, a Tibetan exile with contacts in the area.

Thinley, who lived with his father Dulho and mother Pelha in Khangsar Township, Tawu County, Kardze region, in the traditional Tibetan province of Kham, set himself ablaze at noon (local time).

The regional chapters of the Tibetan Youth Congress, the Tibetan Women's Association and Students for a Free Tibet (India) organised a candle light vigil to mourn him.

With his protest, he became the 131^st Tibetan since 2009 who self-immolated in order to demand an end to Chinese rule in Tibet and the return of the Dalai Lama to his homeland.