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Towards the last two months of my last visit to India in the spring of 2012, I encountered the Tibetan community in exile in India experiencing painful news of their people self-immolating in fire one after another in China-occupied Tibet. My experiences in the past visits in India (drawing a cremation site in Varanasi, documenting fire pits, cremation alters, and contemplating on life and death around fire) synchronized with this particular movement, an extreme way of ‘offering’ their bodies to ‘fire’ for asking freedom and peace.I could not help drawing large and small drawings as emotional response and with a sense of mourning.

After coming back to Vancouver, the self-immolation kept happening and I felt that my personal and professional task is not finished.

I have come back to India to continue to document and draw under the same theme. tomoyoihaya@hotmail.com

7 October 2013

Driru shooting


Tibetans in the area refused to raise the Chinese flag and threw them into a river.

Tibetans gathered at local government office to appeal for the release of Tibetan man.

Chinese armed forces opened fire and used tear gas to disperse Tibetans.

many are injured and many have been arrested

In Driru county, last year on October 25, two young TIbetans, Tsepo and Tenzin set themselves ablaze in Driru County in Nagchu Prefecture.
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