Self Immolation in Hong Kong

In Hong Kong police have arrested 12 people and detained dozens because they were suspected in taking part of an act called self-immolation. Self-immolation is the act of committing suicide by setting yourself on fire. It’s usually used as a form of protest against something. The arrest was done in a Tibetan area and it is believed that the self-immolations were caused by the exiled Dalai Lama. After four years the number of self-immolations has reached 100. Now Chinese police are determined to stop people and groups from taking part in this act.

This crime is mostly happening in Tibetan areas. Police in Huangnan have arrested 12 suspects and detained 58 other people since November according to China’s state-run news agency Xinhua. One suspect who goes by the Tibetan Puhua was charged with homicide and was accused of encouraging self-immolation at the funerals of those who had died from the act according to the news agency.

According to many reports self-immolation is the result of the Dalai Lama the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader. The Dalai Lama hasn’t made any statements in support of the act. The self-immolations began in February 2009 as protests against Chinese policies that Tibetan’s believe are a threat to their traditional homeland and Buddhist beliefs. According to the International Campaign for Tibet, 81 Tibetans died after their protests.

Chinese rarely find in favor of suspects in crime cases. The latest arrests and detentions will most likely end in some trials and convictions. A court in Sichuan Province were many self-immolations have occurred gave heavy sentences to two Tibetans after finding them guilty of urging eight people to burn themselves. Three out of those eight people died.

The Dalai Lama left his homeland in 1959 after a failed uprising against Chinese Communist forces. Many Tibetans worship the Dalai Lama who is 77 and it is believed that when he dies there will be conflict between the Chinese government and his supporters about designating his successor.

I believe in order to stop this harmful crime the government should look at why the Tibetans are using this extreme form of protest. They should also find out the leaders who are encouraging this act and give them longer sentences so they cannot encourage more people. 

Morgan Crosier

02/08/13

10:17 pm 

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/08/world/asia/china-makes-arrests-in-crackdown-on-immolations.html?_r=0