Name: Wangchen Dolma

Age: 31

Sex: Female

Status: Layperson

Date of Self-immolation: around 5 pm (local time) on June 11

Location: Near Nyatso Monastery in Tawu

Current whereabouts/wellbeing: Unknown

Wangchen Dolma 31 year-old nun believed to have suruved fiery protest but no further information on her present condition. She is currently believed to be in a hospital in Dartsedo after Chinese security personnel arrested her from the protest site.

It has also been reported that an unidentified Tibetan man, who tried to rescue Wangchen Dolma, was severely beaten and arrested by Chinese security personnel.

Following a major clampdown by Chinese authorities on all communication channels in the entire Tawu region, sparse details about Tuesday’s protest is trickling out.

Dharamshala based Tibetan language news portal, Tibet Express identified the nun citing sources in exile as well as inside Tibet.

Wangchen Dolma set herself on fire at around 5 pm (local time) on June 11 outside the Nyatso Monastery in Tawu, where thousands of monks from all over Tibet were participating in a major religious gathering.

According to an eyewitness, a Tibetan man tried to put off the flames on Wangchen Dolma’s body, shouting, “if we don’t rescue the nun, she will fall into the hands of the Chinese.”

“Within minutes of the self-immolation protest, Chinese security personnel arrived, extinguished the flames, and bundled the nun away in a police vehicle” the same source said. “The man who tried to save the nun was severely beaten by two Chinese security personnel and later arrested.”

Whereabouts of the unidentified Tibetan man is not known.

Wangchen Dolma’s monastery is located near Dakar Jangchup Choeling, the nunnery to which nun Palden Choetso, who self-immolated on November 3, 2011, belongs.

Wangchen Dolma is a native of Tawu. Further personal details, as well as information on the present situation at her monastery are not available.

Also, a picture currently under circulation, claiming to be of Wangchen Dolma, has not been confirmed by sources.

The exile Tibetan administration has repeatedly appealed to Tibetans not to take drastic actions, including self-immolation, while attributing the current crisis in Tibet to China’s policies of “political and religious repression, economic marginalisation, social discrimination, cultural assimilation and environmental destruction in Tibet.”

This week, Tibetan spiritual leader His Holiness the Dalai Lama expressed doubts over the effectiveness of the unprecedented wave of self-immolations while speaking to reporters in Sydney on Thursday.

“It’s a sad thing that happens. Of course it’s very very sad. In the meantime, I express I doubt how much effect (there is) from such drastic actions,” the 77-year-old Tibetan leader was quoted as saying.

Name: Tenzin Sherap

Age: 31

Sex: Male

Status: Layperson

Date of Self-immolation: 27 May 2013, 6:40 pm (local time)

Location: Adril, Eastern Tibet

Current whereabouts/wellbeing: Deceased

Slogans: Not reported

A 31-year-old self-immolated on 27 May 2013 in the Adril Region of Eastern Tibet protesting China’s occupation and it repressive policies in Tibet. Tenzin Sherab succumbed to his injuries at the site of his protest. Sherab’s family members found out about his protest only after he passed away. According to sources, Chinese security personnel who arrived from Chumar removed his body and handed over to his family the following day on 28 May 2013.

Few days prior to his action, Tenzin Sherab had spoke to his friends about the China’s evil practices saying, “We can no longer bear to live under China’s constant torture and repression.” Sherab is survived by his father Dhondup and Choemey and is the eldest among five siblings.

Name: Tenzin Sherap

Age: 31

Sex: Male

Status: Layperson

Date of Self-immolation: 27 May 2013, 6:40 pm (local time)

Location: Adril, Eastern Tibet

Current whereabouts/wellbeing: Deceased

Slogans: Not reported

A 31-year-old self-immolated on 27 May 2013 in the Adril Region of Eastern Tibet protesting China’s occupation and it repressive policies in Tibet. Tenzin Sherab succumbed to his injuries at the site of his protest. Sherab’s family members found out about his protest only after he passed away. According to sources, Chinese security personnel who arrived from Chumar removed his body and handed over to his family the following day on 28 May 2013.

Few days prior to his action, Tenzin Sherab had spoke to his friends about the China’s evil practices saying, “We can no longer bear to live under China’s constant torture and repression.” Sherab is survived by his father Dhondup and Choemey and is the eldest among five siblings.

Twin self-immolation

Name: Konchok Woeser

Age: 23

Sex: Male

Profession: Monk

Date of Self-immolation: 24 April 2013, 6:40 pm (local time)

Location: Dzoge County, Amdo

Current whereabouts/wellbeing: Deceased

Slogans: Not reported

Name: Lobsang Dawa

Age: 20

Sex: Male

Profession: Monk

Date of Self-immolation: 24 April 2013, 6:40 pm (local time)

Location: Dzoge County, Amdo

Current whereabouts/wellbeing: Deceased

Slogans: Not reported

At around 6:40 pm on 24 April 2013, two monks from Taktsang Lhamo Kirti Monastery — Losang Dawa, 20, and Konchok Woeser, 23, — set themselves on fire within the monastery’s assembly hall while shouting slogans of protest against the Beijing government and its policies in Tibet. They both died at the scene. Fellow monks took their bodies into the main prayer hall to conduct a traditional ceremony and Tibetan rituals for the dead. Local authorities ordered that their bodies be cremated the following day.

Both were known to be model students. Lobsang Dawa, who was studying philosophy was from the Lower Zaru nomad community in Dzoge County and Kunchok Woeser — a student in the monastery’s Tantric College — was from the Tsako Ruwa community in Mechu region of Dzoge.

Twin self-immolation

Name: Konchok Woeser

Age: 23

Sex: Male

Profession: Monk

Date of Self-immolation: 24 April 2013, 6:40 pm (local time)

Location: Dzoge County, Amdo

Current whereabouts/wellbeing: Deceased

Slogans: Not reported

Name: Lobsang Dawa

Age: 20

Sex: Male

Profession: Monk

Date of Self-immolation: 24 April 2013, 6:40 pm (local time)

Location: Dzoge County, Amdo

Current whereabouts/wellbeing: Deceased

Slogans: Not reported

At around 6:40 pm on 24 April 2013, two monks from Taktsang Lhamo Kirti Monastery — Losang Dawa, 20, and Konchok Woeser, 23, — set themselves on fire within the monastery’s assembly hall while shouting slogans of protest against the Beijing government and its policies in Tibet. They both died at the scene. Fellow monks took their bodies into the main prayer hall to conduct a traditional ceremony and Tibetan rituals for the dead. Local authorities ordered that their bodies be cremated the following day.

Both were known to be model students. Lobsang Dawa, who was studying philosophy was from the Lower Zaru nomad community in Dzoge County and Kunchok Woeser — a student in the monastery’s Tantric College — was from the Tsako Ruwa community in Mechu region of Dzoge.

Date: April 16, 2013

Protest location: Tibetan area of Dzamthang (Chinese: Rangtang) county, Ngaba (Chinese: Aba) Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture, Sichuan
Age: 20

Current whereabouts/wellbeing: Deceased

Date: April 16, 2013

Protest location: Tibetan area of Dzamthang (Chinese: Rangtang) county, Ngaba (Chinese: Aba) Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture, Sichuan
Age: 20

Current whereabouts/wellbeing: Deceased

Date: March 26, 2013
Protest location: Near Mokri monastery in Luchu (Chinese: Luqu) County, Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture in Gansu province
Age: 28

Current whereabouts/wellbeing: Deceased

Info: Konchok Tenzin was a monk at Mokri monastery, which he joined at a young age. Konchok died in the course of the protest, and his body was taken back to the monastery. In fear that the remains would be confiscated by the authorities, they were cremated the same night, according to Kirti monks in exile, in Dharamsala, India.

Following the incident, security forces were deployed around the monastery and nearby villages in large numbers, and a strict crackdown imposed. This is the sixth self -immolation protest in Luchu county so far, and all the protesters involved have died as a result.

Date: March 26, 2013
Protest location: Near Mokri monastery in Luchu (Chinese: Luqu) County, Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture in Gansu province
Age: 28

Current whereabouts/wellbeing: Deceased

Info: Konchok Tenzin was a monk at Mokri monastery, which he joined at a young age. Konchok died in the course of the protest, and his body was taken back to the monastery. In fear that the remains would be confiscated by the authorities, they were cremated the same night, according to Kirti monks in exile, in Dharamsala, India.

Following the incident, security forces were deployed around the monastery and nearby villages in large numbers, and a strict crackdown imposed. This is the sixth self -immolation protest in Luchu county so far, and all the protesters involved have died as a result.

Date of Self-immolation: Late March/early April, 2013

Location: Kyegudo (Chinese: Yushu)

Age: Early Forties

Current whereabouts/wellbeing: Unknown

Slogans: Not reported

Info: Kunchok Tsomo self-immolated in late March in protest over the planned destruction of her home in Kyegudo, (Chinese: Yushu), in Qinghai, according to Radio Free Asia’s Tibetan service. On April 14, 2010, a 6.9-magnitude earthquake struck the area, killing 2,698 and leaving 100,000 homeless according to the official count. Kunchok Tsomo’s home was among those destroyed by the local authorities as part of the process of rebuilding Yushu as a ‘new city’ following the earthquake. She survived, and is under close official supervision, according to Tibetan sources. She is the third Tibetan from Kyegudo to self-immolate over land-rights issues involved in the reconstruction following the earthquake.

According to a Tibetan source, armed police arrived on the scene of Kunchok Tsomo’s self-immolation quickly and extinguished the flames, and removed her to hospital. She was given urgent medical treatment and recovered, according to the same source. She is now back in her home town and under close official scrutiny. It is not known if her land was returned to her or not.

Source: RFA Tibetan (4 April, 2013)