ON THE EVE
of India's 66th Independence Day word reached the Tibetan-Exiled community that two more young Tibetans did the unthinkable and self-immolated in Ngaba, Tibet. Two more have followed suit this week, bringing the total to fifty-one Tibetans who have taken this fateful approach in protesting the policies that support China's enduring occupation. The way in which this method of protest is embraced is unprecedented, and yet shockingly it is barely being covered by reputable world media sources. On the surface the Chinese government may see this as a "win-win" since each self-immolator represents an independence-minded activist they no longer have to deal with. It also fits nicely into their narrative of Tibetans being a backward people still desperately in need of an idealistic mission of progress. However, this has to be a public relations nightmare. Why are so many Tibetans willing to kill themselves in protest? What is really going on in Tibet? How will the global community respond? What will be the long-term impacts on stability in Tibet?