Twin self-immolation
Name: Lobsang Kelsang
Age: 18
Sex: Male
Profession: Monk
Date of Self-immolation: 27 August 2012
Location: Ngaba, Amdo, Northeastern Tibet
Current whereabouts/wellbeing: Deceased
Lobsang Damchoe’s slogan accused
Name: Lobsang Damchoe
Age: 17
Sex: Male
Profession: A former monk at Kirti Monastery
Date of Self-immolation: 27 August 2012
Location: Ngaba, Amdo, Northeastern Tibet
Current whereabouts/wellbeing: Deceased
Beijing policies of annihilating the Tibetan race
At around 8:30 pm (local time) on 27 August 2012, cousins Lobsang Kelsang, and Lobsang Damchoe self-immolated near the eastern gate of the besieged Kirti Monastery. Lobsang Kelsang was also the cousin, and Lobsang Damchoe the younger brother, of Tenzin Choedon — the nun from Mamae Dechen Choekhorling Nunnery who passed away after her self–immolation on 11 February 2012.
Kirti monks from the Indian exile base of Dharamshala reported that Lobsang Kelsang was seen walking with flames shooting from his body before he collapsed. According to eyewitnesses, before Lobsang Damchoe fell to the ground he raised slogans against the Chinese government‘s policies to annihilate the Tibetan race. Chinese security personnel extinguished the flames and initially took both men to the hospital in Ngaba town, but later moved them to a hospital in Barkham where both reportedly died.
After their parents’ separation, Damchoe began living with his mother while his sister Choedon stayed with her father. He later disrobed so that he could help his mother with her nomadic chores. He came from Raruwa nomadic village in the north part of Ngaba; this was one of the largest among seven other nomadic villages in Meruma until the Chinese occupation brought anti-nomad policies with it.