(TibetanReview.net, Jul31, 2017) – Police at Dharamshala in Kangra district of Himachal Pradesh state have taken away for investigation charred remains of a youth believed to be Tibetan found on the Tibetan Buddhist circumambulation footpath at Mcleod Ganj on Jul 29. A red bag found at the site of the discovery was stated to contain a Tibetan national flag, besides an umbrella and currency notes totaling around Rs 800.
There is no information yet on who the deceased might be. A mobile number scribbled on a piece of paper found in the bag turned out to be that of a local cable operator.
A Tibetan man named Tenzin Dorje doing a round of circumambulation – whose path is about one kilometer long – said the man was already a huge ball of fire when he saw the incident at about 4PM. The spot was the place called Lhagyal Ri where Tibetans gather to perform incense-burning ceremonies during religious festivals and other important occasions. The spot has photo installations of the nearly 150 self-immolators in Tibet since Feb 2009 as well as busts of two Tibetan self-immolators in India.
Officials of the Tibetan Youth Congress and the Dharamshala Tibetan Settlement Officer, Mr Dawa Rinchen, upon being informed, arrived on the scene. The latter alerted the police about it.
Police believe the man to be 25 to 30 years old. Many Tibetans believe it to be a case of yet another protest self-immolation against Chinese rule in Tibet. But police have said nothing could be ruled out at this stage.