(TibetanReview.net, Jan13’21) – The last protest self-immolation in Tibet reported by the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) was that of Yonten, a 24-year-old former monk who torched himself on Nov 26, 2019 in Meruma Town in Ngaba Prefecture of Sichuan Province. His was the 155th reported self-immolation in Tibet since Feb 2009. But the list is by means complete as one more protest self-immolation, reported to have taken place five years ago, has come to light only now.
Shurmo, a 26-year-old man, torched himself in 2015 in an act of protest against Chinese rule in his homeland, said the CTA on its Tibet.net website Jan 12. It said the incident had taken place on Sep 17, 2015 at around 1 pm Beijing Time near a bus station in Shagchukha village in Driru County of Nagchu prefecture, Tibet Autonomous Region.
The report said police immediately arrested Shurmo, a resident of Shagchukha village, and took him to hospital but that he died the same day. Police then reportedly arrested three of his relatives and there has been no further information about them till now, it was stated.
The report said there were many eyewitnesses to the incident but China ensured that information about it did not reach the outside world.
