The mother of the most recent Tibetan to die by self-immolation in protest of Chinese rule does not regret the loss of her son, according to a source close to the family.
Lobsang Jamyang, 21, set himself ablaze on Saturday in Sichuan’s Ngaba (in Chinese, Aba) prefecture.
Chinese authorities threw blankets over him and began beating him severely, according to a Tibetan monk living in Dharamsala, India, prompting a clash with over seven hundred Tibetans who gathered to protest the police attack.
Lobsang Jamyang's mother, Lacham, said she was proud of her son who had “sacrificed his life for the Tibetan cause,” according to family contact Konchog Tsering, also from Dharamsala.
“When the representatives from Nyentse Monastery and local residents went to see Lobsang Jamyang's mother, she did not show any sign of regret,” he said.
“She told them that when her son was alive he was a very modest and well-disciplined son, and that among the youth, he was someone who always worked towards preserving Tibetan culture and religion.”
“She said, ‘This time he sacrificed his life for the Tibetan cause, so our family has no regret for his death.’”
Meanwhile, Konchog Tsering said, Lobsang Jamyang’s father Gyatso was returning on Wednesday evening from Ngaba prefecture’s Barkham town (in Chinese, Ma’erkang) where he retrieved the ashes of his son from the local police, indicating authorities had cremated his remains.
Lobsang Jamyang, of the Gyatso family in Amdo Khepa town, had attended school and had studied at Amdo Yanggo monastery where he was a key member of the Tibetan Vernacular Promotion group and had advocated use of the pure Tibetan language.
Sixteen Tibetan monks and nuns have set fire to themselves since March 2011 to protest Beijing’s rule over Tibetan areas. A seventeenth monk, named Tapey, set himself ablaze in 2009.
Chinese authorities have blamed the Dalai Lama for the fiery protests, accusing him of encouraging the self-immolations which, they say, run contrary to Buddhist teachings.
The Dalai Lama has denied the charge, blaming instead what he has called China’s “ruthless and illogical” policy toward Tibet.
Reported by Rigdhen Dolma for RFA’s Tibetan service. Translated by Rigdhen Dolma. Written in English by Joshua Lipes.