Contact is taking a holiday!

Contact is taking a break after 25 years of bringing you news of Tibet and Tibetan issues. We are celebrating our 25 years by bringing you the story of Contact and the people who have made it happen, and our archive is still there for you to access at any time, and below you can read the story of Contact, how it came into being and the wonderful reflections of the people who have made it happen over the years.

When and how Contact will re-emerge and evolve will be determined by those who become involved.

Tsering Gyal, 20

November 11, 2013;

Tsering Gyal, a 20 year old Tibetan monk from the Akyong Monastery, set himself ablaze at around 6 pm (local time) in Tibet’s Pema County in Qinghai Province, Golog prefecture. Local sources said that Tsering set himself on fire in protest against the Chinese government and its hardline policies. Chinese police on street patrol doused the fire and rushed Tsering to the local hospital where he was kept under strict police surveillance. Tsering Gyal succumbed to his burn injuries later at around 10 pm (local time) as he was being moved to a bigger hospital in Xiling city. According to sources, Tsering Gyal was accompanied by a relative and a monk from his monastery. In a note left by Tsering, he said, “Today, I burned myself for the re-union of Tibetans. My only hope is the unity among Tibetans and the preservation of the Tibetan language and tradition. If we do that, all the Tibetans will be re-united.” At midnight, Tsering’s body was taken to Akyong Monastery where over 200 monks from Akyong, Peyag and Gomang monatery performed the last rituals for the deceased. Local Tibetans visited Tsering Gyal’s home to show solidarity and pay their respects. A large number of armed forces have been deployed in Pema County and are monitoring people’s movement. Tsering Gyal, son of Sherphun and Rindon, was the youngest of eight children.

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