Namgyal Immolation
Looking into the past, the majority of cases of self-immolation within the country of Tibet have mainly been executed by actively practicing Tibetan monks. In light of many of these monk self-immolations in Tibet, one may begin to think that only these highly regarded religious figures are the ones who are actively protesting the Chinese control. This however, is not the case. There have been a plethora of recent protests to the Chinese government flexing its muscles of bureaucratic control within the country of Tibet.
One such protest includes the story of Thinley Namgyal, 32, a man who set himself on fire on April 15th, 2014. His motive, like the many before him, was to protest the rule of China in Tibet. Radio Free Asia tells the story that he was taken immediately to a local monastery for prayers by nearby Tibetans before Chinese police could arrive and regain control. Following this the Chinese government authorities disabled many technological hubs with the intention to limit any form of further communication in the area.
Though the site Radio Free Asia appears to be neutral in its news reporting, it is clearly presented with a Tibetan spin. However, Radio Free Asia is a United States funded site. What is implied from this Radio Free Asia article but not directly stated, is the subtle impression that anything the Chinese government does within the country of Tibet is unjust. The drastic measures of cutting communication is not only limiting the freedom of speech for the people of Tibet, but also further shows how the Chinese control of Tibetan people is based purely from their force they use.
The Tibetan Review also reported on this issue, citing Radio Free Asia as one of its most significant sources. Not surprisingly, this article takes a much more Tibetan supported spin, where China “keeps denying there are any problems with its rule in occupied Tibet”. In this very same site, lies a tab called China Watch, a section of the Tibetan review that updates everyone on the negative events occurring in China, furthering its bias toward its dominant ruling country.
Another source, Phayul news, takes a somewhat neutral stance on the event, stating what some may say are “just the facts”. Though the article seems to extend sympathy to the family of the man who self-immolated, it for the most part tells the cut and dry version of the 131st self-immolation protesting against China’s rule. At the same time however, the news hub covers exclusively Tibetan events. The article itself is rather brief in content, which may further explain the site’s bias. Because they are based out of Tibet, they might think the story does not require much explaining.
In addition, Voice of America online also decided to report on this event, with a heavy siding with the Tibetan government. For starters, the source of which VOA received intel on the event was from a Tibetan exile, a man who is currently living in India due to Chinese intervention in Tibet. Along with this, the Chinese appear to be supreme and unjust leaders when in the article it discusses how the Chinese authorities “were not able to immediately confiscate his body”. In the past, the Chinese government has regarded similar acts of this nature as suicide terrorism. This makes it seem as though this man self-immolated to terrorize the Tibetan people themselves, and not to protest the government of which suppresses these people.
Finally, Global Post also decided to comment on the self-immolation of Thinley Namgyal. The site further supports Tibetan freedom over Chinese rule due to the Chinese government continuing “to use force to deny [Tibetans] their basic human rights and their fundamental right to determine their own future as a nation”. The Chinese believe that the people of Tibet are ungrateful for China ending feudal abuses within Tibet. The article also ties in the Dalai Lama, who believes the self-immolations are “an act of desperation”. He believes that he has no power to control any of these suicidal acts as long as the Chinese government refuses to engage in any form of communication. The Global Post article also mentions rights groups and how they believe the self-immolations are tied to the excessive Chinese control over the rights of the Tibetan people.
This self-immolation was covered through a plethora of perspectives, often focusing less on the actual event and death that occurred, and more on the Chinese-Tibetan relations. More consistently, there was clear support and sympathy for the people of Tibet, and a clear condemnation of Chinese rule and forceful power. If nothing else, this series of articles shows that the majority of news sources from Tibet feel strongly against China, and the geographical source of the news definitely influences the stance (or lack of stance) that they take in this relationship.