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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

29 March 2014

For Ani Dolma

For Ani Dolma, 24 yrs old nun, who self immolated in Bathang County, Kham, Tibet on March 29th 2014.

Ani la ( Nun in TIbetan) protest took place near
Ba Choede monastery. Local Tibetans on their routine circumambulation spotted her. They doused the flames and took her to a nearby hospital.

The security force arrived and blocked the hospital. All means of communications in the area have been cut off to outside.
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