CTA remembers Tibetan self-immolators Dorjee Tseten and Dhargye

The Central Tibetan Administration remembered Dorjee Tseten and Dhargye, who self-immolated in Lhasa in 2012 to protest Chinese repression. The CTA highlighted the incident, the first in Lhasa, as part of its commemorative campaign on social media.

The Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) remembered two Tibetan self-immolators, Dorjee Tseten and Dhargye, on the anniversary of their protest against alleged Chinese repression in Tibet. The tribute was shared through image posts on the official X account of the CTA on Wednesday as part of its "Remembering Tibetan Self-Immolators" campaign.

The Protest of Dorjee Tseten

According to the CTA, Dorjee Tseten, a 19-year-old high school graduate and chef working at a restaurant in Lhasa, set himself on fire along with his friend Dhargye near the Jokhang Temple in Lhasa on 27 May 2012. The protest was reportedly aimed at opposing China's policies in Tibet and highlighting the situation faced by Tibetans inside the region. CTA stated that the incident marked the first self-immolations to take place in Tibet's capital, Lhasa. The post further claimed that armed Chinese security personnel immediately rushed to the scene, removed both men and allegedly left no trace of the protest site.

Dorjee Tseten reportedly died at the scene on the same day due to severe burn injuries. CTA also alleged that Chinese authorities refused to hand over his body to the family, who later received ashes described as "unverified and unexplained". Dorjee was originally from Bora in Tibet's Amdo province.

The Story of Dhargye

The CTA also highlighted the case of Dhargye, a 25-year-old Tibetan youth who worked as a cashier at a restaurant in Lhasa. According to the organisation, Dhargye survived the initial protest despite suffering nearly 60 per cent burns and was taken to a police hospital near Sera Monastery for treatment. However, he reportedly succumbed to his injuries weeks later on 7 July 2012. CTA stated that Dhargye belonged to Soruma village in Choejema Township of Ngaba County in Tibet's Amdo Province. The youngest among six siblings, he had reportedly joined Kirti Monastery at an early age before later disrobing and taking up work in Lhasa.

Through the commemorative posts, the CTA once again drew international attention to Tibetan self-immolation protests and reiterated its criticism of Chinese policies in Tibet.

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