SuperSamgha, The Association of Japanese Buddhists for Tibet is a group of Japanese Monks and lay Buddhists that supports Tibet.
The coalition of cross-denomination sects gathered together today to condemn China’s merciless crackdown, which has been intensified against monks and the people of Tibet especially in the Ngaba area of eastern Tibet since a young monk set fire to himself in protest.
Nine young Tibetans have set fire to themselves in eastern Tibet since March 2011- Seven since 26 September- and five have died.
We deeply regret the death of these monks, and at the same time would like to express our deepest condemnation of China’s on going brutal oppression of the Tibetan people especially in the area of Ngaba, Amdo (Ch; Shichen) and monks of Kirti Monastery in the same area, one of the largest and most influential monastic institutions in Tibet where seven of the self-immolations are linked to.
We ask, what is it that these monks and former monks are crying out for by setting fire to themselves and sacrificing their lives?
We must listen to them and respond to these unprecedented and truly desperate acts.
China’s merciless and violent crackdown in Ngaba and throughout Tibet is intensifying Tibetan grievances and exacerbating the resentment and desperation felt across Tibet.
The Chinese government is busy promoting how development has made Tibetans wealthier and thus happier.
In contrast, ‘supposed to be’ happy Tibetans are setting fire to themselves, crying out for help.
Minorities under the oppressive regime sometimes result to violence in order to bring attention to their struggle.
Tibetans, as devout Buddhists, follow the teachings of non-violence of both the Buddha and His Holiness the Dalai Lama, and they do not engage in violence, which would harm others.
They have resorted to self-immolation in order to save their religion and freedom.
They are under military lockdown with a media blackout in the area, and have no way of letting the outside world know about their plight.
The tragic act of self-immolation by these young Tibetan people, who are merely 20 years old, simply suggests how desperate they are in the attempt to call for the international community to intervene in the violent repression they are suffering, so they chose to protest with the ultimate act of self-sacrifice.
The current crackdown against Tibetans was stepped up when a young monk self -immolated on 16th March and later died.
They are under constant surveillance and many have been detained. The repression has been particularly intensified against the monastery with limits on the delivery of food as well as the forcing of “patriotic education” to denounce their beloved spiritual leader His Holiness the Dalai Lama.
We are calling for our government and international governments to intervene in this seriously critical situation and urge the Chinese government to review it’s policy in Tibet which leads to such an ultimate protest of self-sacrifice, and instead to begin respecting the Tibetans’ religion, culture and language.
1: Reveal the conditions of all monks who committed self-immolation and release all that are detained in relation to the incidents.
2: Cease the crackdown on the people of Ngaba immediately
3: Withdraw all military police and soldiers from and around the Kirti Monastery immediately
4: Stop interfering with all traditional and religious practices of monks and ordinary Tibetan people
5: Agree to an investigation by independent international human rights bodies, lift the media blackout and let the international media into the area as well as the rest of Tibet.
SuperSamgha, The Association of Japanese Buddhists
for Tibet is a coalition of cross-denominational Buddhist
sects made up of monks and lay Buddhists who support the Tibetan people.
