The Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy (TCHRD) is deeply shocked and dismayed by the news of two self-immolation protests that occurred in quick succession on Monday. Both involved two Tibetan teenagers burning their bodies to bring international attention and scrutiny to the repression perpetuated by the Chinese authorities in Tibet. Till date, a confirmed number of 152 Tibetans have self-immolated, 144 in Tibet and eight outside Tibet. On Monday, at 4 pm (local time) on 29 February 2016, an 18-year-old Tibetan monk named Kalsang Wangdu of Mari Tsokha Aryaling Monastery died after setting himself on fire and calling …

A Tibetan mother of one has been arbitrarily detained and disappeared beginning this month after she staged a peaceful solo protest carrying a portrait of the Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama in Meuruma (Ch: Mai’erma) Town in Ngaba (Ch: Aba) County in Ngaba Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture, Sichuan Province, in Tibet’s Amdo province. According to reliable information received by TCHRD, at around 12 pm local time on 1 March, Mangga carried a portrait of the Dalai Lama and walked along the main road of Meuruma Town, to protest against repressive policies of the Chinese government. Mangga’s peaceful solo protest …

A Tibetan monk from Rongwo Monastery in Rebkong has been sentenced to two years for keeping and sharing photos of Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama in Rebkong (Ch: Tongren) County, Malho (Ch: Huangnan) Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Qinghai Province. The verdict came after the monk was subjected to seven months long secret detention. On 17 February 2016, the Malho Intermediate People’s Court sentenced Gomar Choephel to two years imprisonment under the charges that he “threatened social stability” and “engaged in separatist activities”. The real reason for his imprisonment was he had kept and shared Dalai Lama’s photos on social networking sites. …