info

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

2 July 2015

Remember Choephel and Kayang, October 7 2011

For Choephel, 19 years old and Kayang, 18 years old, who carried out their protest together on the main street in Ngaba county town, Amdo, Tibet, on October 7 2011.

The two young men, former monks from Kirti Monastery, clasped their hands together and set fire on themselves before security personnel extinguished the flames and took the two to the country's government hospital.

The Ngaba area has been under military lockdown since major protests were held in the area following the spread of protests across the Tibetan plateau beginning  in March, 2008.  In one major demonstration in Ngaba in 2008, at least 10 Tibetans were shot dead by security forces.

"Tibetans are deeply religious, and they are willing to pay the ultimate price for their religion and freedom" Zorgyi

"Monks take a vow that says they are not allowed to end their lives. But on the other hand, these actions are not for an individual, they are for a people"  H.H. Karmapa