Hundreds of Tibetans observed a candle light vigil

Vijyender Sharma

DHARMSHALA---Hundreds of Tibetans observed a candle light vigil and offered their prayers and support to 32- year- old Tibetan national, Thinley Namgyal, who self immolated in his homeland in protest against the Chinese rule.

The candle light vigil was jointly organised by various Tibetan NGOs- in-exile like the Regional Tibetan Youth Congress, Tibetan Womens Association and Students For A Free Tibet.

Member of a non- governmental organisation fighting for the cause of Tibet, Jyotsna, said that self immolations are an indication of the rejection of the Chinese rule in Tibet.

"We are organising a candle light vigil for Thinley Namgyal, a 32- year- old Tibetan man who set himself on fire at 12 o'clock in local time in Tibet today and he has become the 130th Tibetan to do so in protest of Chinese rule inside Tibet," she said.

"I joined this cause because I see these signs of protest as a sign of clear rejection of Chinese policies in Tibet and I want to stand in solidarity with them," she added.

Namgyal set himself on fire in Tawu county,a Kardze Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture in Tibet. He succumbed to his injuries on the spot, taking the toll of self immolators to 130, out of which 112 have died.

He belonged to the Khangsar village of Tawu county and is the son of Duelo (father) and Pelha (mother).

More than 100 Tibetans have set themselves alight in protest against Chinese rule since 2009, mostly in heavily Tibetan areas of Sichuan, Gansu and Qinghai provinces rather than in what China terms the Tibet Autonomous Region.