Two more Tibetans kill themselves, toll 89

Dharamsala, Nov 29 (IANS) Two more people were killed in Tibet after they set themselves on fire in the last two days, the Tibetan government−in−exile said here Thursday.

The Tibetan administration also demanded the return of their spiritual leader the Dalai Lama to Tibet and the release of political prisoners. The toll in such self−immolation cases in Tibet rose to 89 since 2009.

While Tsering Namgyal, a 31−year−old father of two, set himself on fire at Luchu town in Kanlho in north−eastern Tibet Thursday, Bendey Khar, 21, died at Tsoe in Kanlho Wednesday.

“The US is very concerned about the situation, the heightened tensions in the Tibetan areas, the deplorable self−immolations and of course just the policies of the Chinese government at all levels,” the US ambassador to China Gary Locke said Tuesday, according to the Tibetan administration.

“And we’re publicly and privately constantly urging the Chinese to re−examine some of their policies that threaten the linguistic identity, the cultural identity, and religious identity of the Tibetan people,” he said.

The Dalai Lama has lived in India since fleeing his homeland in 1959. The Tibetan administration in exile is based in this northern Indian hill town.

IANS 2012-11-29 19:06:07