Lobsang Sangay- please stop your Tibetan from self-immolation & NOT ENCOURAGE

[christine V]

My humble opinion on this news
1) Mr. Sikyong please do not use this tragedy to blind your own blood/ Tibetan to kill themselves
2) The Rangzen people should truly support H.H Dalai Lama and let H.H Dalai Lama go home, this incident will be less.

_______________


Tibetan President-in-Exile Calls on China to Address Grievances
December 25, 2017 0:28 AM Tinley Nyandak

Tibet’s president-in-exile has called on the Chinese government to address the grievances of Tibetans in Tibet after a young man set himself on fire last week.

According to several sources, 30-year-old Konpe set himself ablaze in the infamous “Martyr’s Lane” in Ngaba town in Ngaba County, Sichuan Province, Dec. 23. Many Tibetans have self-immolated in Ngaba town, in eastern Tibet since 2009.

Expressing deep concern at the self-immolation, President Dr. Lobsang Sangay said: “Despite repeated appeals from the Central Tibetan Administration, at least 151 Tibetans have set themselves on fire inside Tibet since 2009. The Chinese government should realize that the cause as well as the solution to this wave of fiery protests lie with the Chinese government itself.”

“The Chinese government should address the legitimate grievances of the Tibetan people and review the failed policies that have engendered the grim situation and Tibetans resorting to self immolation to protest the Chinese rule in Tibet,” he added.

Sources say the self-immolator raised slogans for Tibet’s freedom before Chinese authorities arrived at the scene and took away his body. It was not clear whether he was dead or alive.

Last month an elderly monk named Tenga set himself on fire and died later in Kardze County in eastern Tibet’s Kham region.

Konpe’s self-immolation brings the total number of self-immolation protests in Tibet to 152 since 2009. The majority of those protesters have died. The protesters have called for freedom for Tibet and return of Tibet’s spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama.

[dsnowlion]

It is disgusting that President of the Tibetan people in exile take someone's death and self-immolation to further his own cause to draw more sympathy from people to get more money. That is what it is for Sikyong Lobsang Sangay and his crooked cronies in the Central Tibetan Administration. They should really all be sacked and new leadership/fresh start for the New Year 2018 should happen.

Yes indeed they should support HH the Dalai Lama to return to Tibet, and why are they not and instead keep on pocking fire onto the already bad relationship? They say they support HH the Dalai Lama so why go against Dalai Lama's plans by taking every opportunity to keep condemning them Mr. Sangay? You are really a horrible, power hungry, self-centred, greedy, corrupt, fake leader. Please resign already, you are shaming Tibetans!

[Celia]

Typical of Lobsang Sangay to capitalise on the situation to his advantage no matter how lame it would make him look. More and more people are wizening up to his shenanigans especially with the latest on-going public dirty laundry due to mud-slinging between him and Penpa Tsering in relation to Penpa’s termination. Also, not forgetting the recent monumental screw-up with Samdong Rinpoche on the conflicting/confusing confirmation on a matter so vitally significant to Tibetans.

Considering his precarious situation, if he has any conscience, instead of still reaping as much for his personal gains by stepping on and using the Tibetans, he should "atone" and at least attempt to act the part and do something constructive towards delivering what he promised to Tibetans during his election campaign instead of constantly blaming and antagonising China, effectively sabotaging any chances of good faith negotiation on the Tibetan cause.

[michaela]

There are only two possibilities: Either Lobsang Sangay discreetly support and encourage self-immlation so they keep happening or the Tibetans do not respect him enough to listen to his advice to not self-immolate


Couple attempt self-immolation
A couple from TIRUNELVELI

Maranthai in the district – K. Ashok Kumar (35) and Divya Darshini (29) – attempted suicide by dousing themselves with kerosene outside the Collectorate here on Tuesday. Police personnel deployed in the area, however, thwarted their attempt and sent them to hospital.

Even as the officials tried to downplay the issue, inquiries suggested that Divya Darshini had come to the Collectorate in the forenoon and submitted a petition to the District Revenue Officer.

In her petition, she said her mother had deposited ?10 lakh in Divya Darshini’s name. As she was a minor then, her mother had made it a joint account, which could also be operated by Divya Darshini’s maternal uncle. Divya Darshini stated that her uncle had cheated her and siphoned off the money after her mother’s death.

As her repeated attempts to reach her uncle failed, she and her husband took the extreme step, Divya Darshini said.

Palayamkottai Inspector T. Periasami said the couple were admitted to Tirunelveli Government Medical College Hospital. A case would be registered in this regard, he said.

Following the suicide of Esakkimuthu, his wife and two children at the Collectorate in October, the police have sealed most of the entrances to the complex, but intensified checks. Frisking is done particularly on Mondays, when people turn up in large numbers to participate in the grievance redressal meeting.

People in need of counselling to overcome suicidal tendencies can contact the State Health Department’s helpline 104. Chennai-based suicide prevention centre Sneha can be contacted at 044-24640050.

http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/tamil-nadu/couple-attempt-self-immolation-tirunelveli/article22282112.ece

[Rowntree]

The only reason self-immolation still takes place is because CTA encourages it by not doing anything to stop it. We all know how powerful the Dalai Lama's speech is and how much Tibetans will listen to it. One sentence from him can stop all this. It is very simple. How come CTA didn't ask the Dalai Lama to address this? How come they put the blame on China while they know the solution lies in their hands? Well, it is all about money, isn't it? If the Tibetans stopped self-immolation, there will be no more draw for the CTA to ask for money from westerners.

[angelica]

With the rise of China in the world economy, the hope for Tibet to get independence is very slim. Therefore, the Tibetan should accept this and do not waste their precious human body. Their sacrifice by self-immolation is not worth it.

CTA please stop your Tibentan from self-immolation. Where is your compassion? How can you allow your Tibetan to sacrifice like this?

[Belinda Mae]

WOW! I CAN'T IMAGINE PRESIDENT LOBSANG SANGAY CAN SAY SUCH THINGS. HE CAN BLAME CHINA FOR THE SELF-IMMOLATION AND NOT INTO THEMSELVES THEY ARE THE CULPRIT WHO IS CREATING THE SELF-IMMOLATION. YES, THE TIBETANS WANT FREEDOM, BUT CTA IS ALWAYS STOPPING THEM FROM DOING SO. SO, WHO IS AT THE WRONG NOW? CTA OR CHINA? 

[Celia]

With the rise of China in the world economy, the hope for Tibet to get independence is very slim. Therefore, the Tibetan should accept this and do not waste their precious human body. Their sacrifice by self-immolation is not worth it.

CTA please stop your Tibentan from self-immolation. Where is your compassion? How can you allow your Tibetan to sacrifice like this?

@Angelica  Unfortunately, it is obvious from their constant blame towards China and refusal to discourage the self-immolations that those helming CTA were never serving the interests of Tibetans. They are clearly only milking the situation for their own benefit. As such, it is just CTA’s typical irresponsible reaction to blame instead of taking accountability to do the proper thing. Sad but true.

[Drolma]

What the CTA really wants is to have the Tibetans remain as refugees for as long as they can. They are making easy money now by selling their poor me story to the west. They get millions and millions of dollars just by showing them some pictures or videos.

Not only the Tibetans in India are being used by the CTA, but the Tibetans in China are also used by them for their own interest. The CTA encourages the Tibetans in China to burn themselves as a protest to Chinese ruling. Some Tibetans are very gullible to think that it would work so they took their own lives. Up until today, there are more than 150 cases of self-immolation.

Knowing that the self-immolation will not work, the CTA is still not making an effort to stop the Tibetans from taking their own lives. Instead, they glorify their action by erecting a monument for these people. What the CTA is doing is really disgusting, they are using precious lives to get the money.  They give no value to other's lives except theirs. 

[Alex]

What kind of government encourages their people to kill themselves? Only a government that has no care for their people do that. The CTA has been glorifying self-immolators as heroes of the Tibetans but actually, their motive is not really to appreciate what they did but to encourage more Tibetans do to it. Why? Because CTA gets more donations and attention internationally after that.

Tibetans have been staying in India for 60 years now and they really need some new tricks to get donations from the western country. Despite receiving donations for over 60 years and produce no result, they have to think of something else to generate more sympathy so that the western countries will keep on donating to their lost cause.

If there is nothing new, the western countries might start to doubt the usage of those funds and start to question them about why there is no progress on Tibet cause after so many years of support. With more Tibetan immolate themselves. With more Tibetans killing themselves, it will make China look even worst and also the attention it will bring to them. More attention will bring in more donations.

[Rowntree]

Perhaps the Indian Supreme Court's decision on this case be used to petition a similar "unbanning" of Dorje Shugden practice in monasteries and all harmful actions against the Chinese ruling of Tibet. Once that is done, no more self-immolation will take place anymore?

India Supreme Court overturns ban on women at Sabarimala temple

India's Supreme Court says barring women aged 10 to 50 from entering Sabarimala Ayyappa temple was unconstitutional.

by Zeenat Saberin
28 Sept 2018

An estimated one million Hindu pilgrims travel to the Sabarimala temple every year to pray to the deity Lord Ayyappa [File: Hareesh Kumar AS/The Associated Press]

New Delhi - India's Supreme Court has overturned a decades-old ban by religious authorities that forbid women from entering one of the holiest Hindu temples in the country.

The Sabarimala Ayyappa temple was one of the few temples in India that barred women aged between 10 and 50 from entering.

"Religion cannot be a cover to deny women the right to worship ... to treat women as children of lesser God is to blink at constitutional morality," Justice DY Chandrachud said on Friday while reading the judgment.

An estimated one million Hindu pilgrims travel to the Sabarimala temple in the southern state of Kerala annually.

The ban on female devotees was being upheld by the Travancore Devaswom Board, which manages the famous Sabarimala Ayyappa temple.

The ban, defended by the government and conservative Hindu bodies, came under legal scrutiny in 2016 after the Young Lawyers' Association filed a petition seeking entry for all women.

Congratulations to all of us Indians .. we have all walked away from darkness of shame into light of equality!! Bow to judges who made us aware of rights of half of India!!

Women's rights lawyer Flavia Agnes said "spaces have to be created for judicial intervention", but warned that determining what is the core or essential practices of religions was riddled with complexities.

"Today's ruling can affect other similar strictures like 'Christian women cannot become priests'. All these things can now be challenged," Agnes told Al Jazeera.

"It will be interesting to watch how the courts proceed from here for those practices - whether they hold this as 'discrimination' or freedom to practise your religion."

Sabarimala Ayyappa temple's website explains that since Lord Ayyappa was "Nithya Brahmachari" - or celibate - women in the 10-50 age group are not allowed to enter.

"Such women who try to enter Sabarimala will be prevented by authorities," the website reads.

The head of the temple had said earlier he would consider allowing women to enter if there was a machine to check if they were menstruating.

In the ruling, Justice Chandrachud criticised this diktat, saying: "The ban says presence of women deviates from celibacy. This is placing the burden of men's celibacy on women. It stigmatises them, stereotypes them."

Menstruation is rarely discussed openly in India and menstrual blood is considered impure by many communities. Across cities and towns, menstruating girls and women are not allowed to prepare food, enter a temple or touch an idol.

Reaction to the decision
Justice Indu Malhotra, the lone dissenting judge on the 5-judges bench at the top court, said she did not agree with the majority ruling on the ban.

"What constitutes essential religious practice is for the religious community to decide, not for the court ... notions of rationality cannot be brought into religion," said Malhotra.

"A balance needs to be struck between religious beliefs and the cherished principles of non-discrimination and equality laid down by constitution."

Conservative Hindu groups have reacted, saying they will challenge the decision of the top court. 

"We are going for a review petition by the first week of October. The Deity's concept was not taken into consideration," said Rahul Easwar, president of the Ayyappa Dharma Sena (Ayyappa Religious Army), that claims to protect the interests of the Lord Ayyappa.

"The Deity has rights which were not mentioned here. So a conglomerate of Hindu groups will appeal against this decision."

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2018/09/india-supreme-court-overturns-ban-women-sabarimala-temple-180928074701697.html

[Tracy]

In China, many Tibetans burnt themselves to death thinking they will be able to free Tibet. So far, there were more than 150 cases of self-immolation in Tibet. Lives were sacrificed but there was no result or even progress in the Free Tibet movement.

The CTA knows very well self-immolation will not help in their cause. If it worked, it would have worked when the first person self-immolated. However, the CTA still encourages the Tibetans to self-immolate by glorifying it.

The CTA needs to have more poor-me stories to earn sympathy from the sponsors so that they can get financial support from them. Therefore they did not want to stop the Tibetans from burning themselves but they encourage more people to do that. The CTA is the only government in the world who use their own people's lives for their personal interest.

[Alex]

In China, many Tibetans burnt themselves to death thinking they will be able to free Tibet. So far, there were more than 150 cases of self-immolation in Tibet. Lives were sacrificed but there was no result or even progress in the Free Tibet movement.

The CTA knows very well self-immolation will not help in their cause. If it worked, it would have worked when the first person self-immolated. However, the CTA still encourages the Tibetans to self-immolate by glorifying it.

The CTA needs to have more poor-me stories to earn sympathy from the sponsors so that they can get financial support from them. Therefore they did not want to stop the Tibetans from burning themselves but they encourage more people to do that. The CTA is the only government in the world who use their own people's lives for their personal interest.

Self-immolation will not help Tibetans to get back Tibet. China's grip on Tibet is firm and strong. There is no way they will back up and give back Tibet to Tibetans on a silver platter. It will not happen and Tibetans can stop dreaming about Rangzen. There is a reason why His Holiness the Dalai Lama who is Buddha of Compassion that attained perfect wisdom to propose Umaylam, autonomy within China.

His Holiness knows independence of Tibet is unachievable. All Tibetans should unite and support His Holiness's decision and work towards it. It will only be beneficial for them if they are able to return to Tibet sooner. If His Holiness passes away before they can return to Tibet, it will be even more difficult for them to return.

CTA, on the other hand, should stop painting China a bad name because it won't help to get Tibetans back to Tibet. It will only make China confuse on the stance of Tibetans whether they want to get on China's good books or keep irritating China. They need to at least act like they don't oppose China anymore so that China will at least give them a chance to talk.

[SabS]

In China, many Tibetans burnt themselves to death thinking they will be able to free Tibet. So far, there were more than 150 cases of self-immolation in Tibet. Lives were sacrificed but there was no result or even progress in the Free Tibet movement.

The CTA knows very well self-immolation will not help in their cause. If it worked, it would have worked when the first person self-immolated. However, the CTA still encourages the Tibetans to self-immolate by glorifying it.

The CTA needs to have more poor-me stories to earn sympathy from the sponsors so that they can get financial support from them. Therefore they did not want to stop the Tibetans from burning themselves but they encourage more people to do that. The CTA is the only government in the world who use their own people's lives for their personal interest.

Self-immolation will not help Tibetans to get back Tibet. China's grip on Tibet is firm and strong. There is no way they will back up and give back Tibet to Tibetans on a silver platter. It will not happen and Tibetans can stop dreaming about Rangzen. There is a reason why His Holiness the Dalai Lama who is Buddha of Compassion that attained perfect wisdom to propose Umaylam, autonomy within China.

His Holiness knows independence of Tibet is unachievable. All Tibetans should unite and support His Holiness's decision and work towards it. It will only be beneficial for them if they are able to return to Tibet sooner. If His Holiness passes away before they can return to Tibet, it will be even more difficult for them to return.

CTA, on the other hand, should stop painting China a bad name because it won't help to get Tibetans back to Tibet. It will only make China confuse on the stance of Tibetans whether they want to get on China's good books or keep irritating China. They need to at least act like they don't oppose China anymore so that China will at least give them a chance to talk.

I agree with you. China had never in history ever given in to threats, be it during group or lone demonstrations. On the contrary, the officials will quickly step in to remove this threat regardless. I can actually understand China's stance as they do have a very large country to take care of and look to harmony for everyone, not just the interest of a small group. As such, self-immolation is a waste of precious life that could have done much more alive. Now, it only raises the ire of China and increases the level of distrust towards the Tibetan Leaders. How is CTA going to fulfill the Dalai Lama's wishes to return home??

CTA is, in fact, the traitor to the Dalai Lama and their people who placed their hopes and lives in CTA's hands. It is CTA who can either help them using the ludicrous sponsorship money received or keep them hopeless so as to have reasons to continue receiving donations. CTA has been so professional in their begging mode that they now abide in it with ease and dare not step out of this comfort zone for even their people nor the Dalai Lama. The fear is too great that they rather continue begging (Lobsang Sangay is not travelling the world in luxury to beg) than to be cooperating with the Chinese for easy money. Warped sense of logic! What more, the Dalai Lama, an enlightened being already saw what should be done many years ago. Clearly, CTA just do not have the merits to support the Dalai Lama.

[Tracy]

Self-immolation will not help Tibetans to get back Tibet. China's grip on Tibet is firm and strong. There is no way they will back up and give back Tibet to Tibetans on a silver platter. It will not happen and Tibetans can stop dreaming about Rangzen. There is a reason why His Holiness the Dalai Lama who is Buddha of Compassion that attained perfect wisdom to propose Umaylam, autonomy within China.

His Holiness knows independence of Tibet is unachievable. All Tibetans should unite and support His Holiness's decision and work towards it. It will only be beneficial for them if they are able to return to Tibet sooner. If His Holiness passes away before they can return to Tibet, it will be even more difficult for them to return.

CTA, on the other hand, should stop painting China a bad name because it won't help to get Tibetans back to Tibet. It will only make China confuse on the stance of Tibetans whether they want to get on China's good books or keep irritating China. They need to at least act like they don't oppose China anymore so that China will at least give them a chance to talk.

The CTA does not want to get Tibet back, this is for sure. If they want to, they would have changed their strategy many years ago. They are still using the same method they used 60 years ago to try to free Tibet, how is that possible?

The CTA will not discourage self-immolation either, in fact, they will encourage more. They want more free money from the west and self-immolation is a great tool to earn sympathy from the west. The more self-immolation cases they can present, the more money they are able to get. Sad to say that, the welfare of the Tibetans is never their main interest.

If the CTA really frees Tibet, they bring stress to themselves. They don't know how to rule or manage a country. As it is, they can't even provide a good future for the 80,000 Tibetans in exile, how are they going to be responsible for the millions of Tibetans in Tibet? More Tibetans have realised that the CTA is incapable and free Tibet is just wishful thinking, so more and more Tibetans are leaving India now.