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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 May 2017

For Chagdor kyab May 2 2017

For Chogdor Kyab, 16 yrs old junior high school student, who self immolated on May 2nd 2017 in Bora, Amdo, Tibet.

It is said that Chogdor walked inside of Bora monastery in the evening, set himself on fire, and ran in flame towards Bora city hall while screaming slogans ' freedom for Tibet' 'Bring H.H.Dalai Lama to Tibet'.

He fell onto the ground gradually.  The security force rushed to the site immediately to take his body away.  His whereabout and condition is not known at present.



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http://www.rfa.org/tibetan/sargyur/shakdor-kyab-self-immolation-in-bora-05062017222516.html