Drawings from Dharamsala : December 2014

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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

23 December 2014

For Kalsang Yeshe

For Kalsang Yeshe, 37 yrs old monk from Nyatso Monastery, who set himself on fire in Tawo, Kham, Tibet.

He carried out his protest outside of a security police outpost set up to monitor his monastery. Before the protest, he called for the return of the Dalai Lama to Tibet and for freedom in Tibet. He is believed to be dead.

A couple of pictures of him came out onlin to the Tibetan in exile side immediately.
One of them was of him sitting among beautiful blue flowers on the grassland.

Tibet keeps burning. I wish that he and other lost lives could have lived fully and peacefully with those blue flowers under the 'free' blue sky.

22 December 2014

For Tsepe

For Tsepe who self immolated in Meruma, Ngaba County, Tibet on December 22nd

No detail about her came out to the exile side. Only we know is that she is around 20 years old and she is said to have died from her protest.

19 December 2014

Drawing in progress II

16 December 2014

For Sangye Khar

For Sangye Khar who self immolated in Amchok town, Sangchu County, Kanlho, Tibet on December 16, 2014.

Sangye set himself on fire right in front of the local police station around 9 am. His charred body was taken to Sangchu County by the Chinese police who refused to hand over the body to his family despite protests from the local Tibetans.

Prayers to him who decided to have taken the extreme form of a protest. Also to Ngawang Monlam, a village leader who was killed by authority in Driru and Karmey, 22 years old who was beaten to death by the police. In all cases, they committed no crime and they did not harm their brutal enemy. All they did were to do good deeds for fellow Tibetans and to stand up for justice and freedom.

10 December 2014

International Human Rights Day

On December 10th, International Human Rights Day( 24/7/365 actually)
butter lamps are added on the drawing in progress and one offered in front of it.

A modest gesture in solidarity for those who passed away in protest for human dignity and rights and who suffer in prisons now because they had stood up for freedom and human rights with compassion and courage.

Peace!