Community | February 27, 2009 | 17 comments

Chinese Police shot burning monk today before they put him out

source: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/feb/27/china-police-shoot-burning-monk

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bansheewail
Chinese police today shot a burning Tibetan monk before they put him out, the Free Tibet campaign said.

The monk had set himself on fire in a protest over Tibetan new year rituals in Aba county, Sichuan province, the group said. The area saw some of the worst unrest during Tibetan protests last March.

Free Tibet said witnesses saw Tabe, a monk aged in his 20s, walking from Kirti monastery into town this afternoon. He was carrying a hand-drawn Tibetan flag with a picture of the Dalai Lama at its centre.

"He doused himself in petrol. The armed police could not get near him because he was burning," said Matt Whitticase, a campaign spokesman. "Witnesses heard three gunshots fired. The monk fell to the ground and the police managed to put the flames out. He was immediately put into a van and taken to an undisclosed location. His present condition is unknown."
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17 comments // Chinese Police shot burning monk today before they put him out

  • PlatoTacius
    • 0
      PlatoTacius  

    • There must be a much smarter way to protest, especially for a monk, who is supposedly in touch with all that is holy and non-hostile. The conduit of universal knowledge would provide a platform of a much higher level of existence from which to attempt to reach the Chinese powers that be, or was he just trying to stoop to their level by burning himself... by making that abreviated statement...where is the logical appeal to the rest of the world..? It just doesn't seem wise...

    • 3 years ago
  • holyshiite
  • Scarabus
    • 0
      Scarabus  

    • The first time I remember was during the Vietnam War. If Wiki can be trusted, though, the practice is many centuries old.

      Anyhow, a protest is no good if it doesn't garner attention. In a nice bit of poetic justice, the Chinese police may have promoted the monk's cause.

    • 3 years ago
  • unimatrix0
    • 0
      unimatrix0  
    • Image

    • While I am sympathetic to the monk's cause, I can not get behind self-immolation.

      I reject ritual suicide as a form of political protest. Life is precious.

    • 3 years ago
  • MildGhost
  • xixigz
    • 0
      xixigz  

    • I think DaLaI should responsible for this shooting,i think everyhting is this old guy`s intrigue.actually the Tibetan have a good life compare with DaLai`s time,everybody known that Tibetan serf`s life is rather disastrous.

    • 3 years ago
  • Bren589
  • Bahai144
  • MoonLoon
    • 0
      MoonLoon  

    • Mercy killing is not applauded in our culture. However, i suspect he appreciated the favor, as I would in the same circumstances.

    • 3 years ago
  • ras_menelik
  • Scarabus
    • 0
      Scarabus  

    • I remember this self-immolation stuff from the late 60s and early 70s. Wonder how effective Ghandi or MLK would have been if he just torched himself instead of organizing and leading?

      BTW, shooting the guy was probably a gift, intended or not. I'd rather be dead than to be alive, dealing with the consequences of that kind of burn damage to the flesh.

      That's just me, of course. The monk might have preferred to live and wave his bloody shirt ... or his burned flesh. Each to her or his own.

    • 3 years ago
  • Valentin0o
  • Snellmen
  • jh64487
  • bansheewail
  • Bren589
  • iloveravi
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