14 January 2012, International Campaign for Tibet

January 17 update: The Tibetan who set himself on fire in Ngaba on January 14 has been named as Lobsang Jamyang, 21, a former monk from Aduk village in Ngaba. The Tibetan Center for Human Rights and Democracy reported today that “Lobsang Jamyang called out ‘May His Holiness the Dalai Lama live thousands of years’ while still engulfed in flames. Eyewitnesses say he paced up and down the street unsteadily as he continued to shout slogans.” TCHRD, which is based inDharamsala, India, said that armed police intimidated and beat other Tibetans who had gathered around Lobsang Jamyang’s body. TCHRD reported that a Tibetan woman in her forties died in the clash between the police and crowd.

There has been an escalation of tensions in Ngaba (Chinese: Aba) today after the violent actions of police towards a Tibetan who set himself on fire led to armed police shooting into a crowd. According to emerging reports from sources in exile, at least two Tibetans were shot. Several are believed to be seriously injured, and reports that a Tibetan woman had died could not be fully confirmed at the time of writing.

The shooting followed the self-immolation of a Tibetan layman today in Ngaba town (Ngaba Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture, Sichuan, the Tibetan area of Amdo). According to the same sources, the Tibetan was observed being beaten severely by police as the flames were extinguished. Tibetans gathered around in distress and there were attempts to take the body of the Tibetan who self-immolated away from police. According to various sources the Tibetan was dead. Read more