The New York Times had an article on Feb 3 about Tibetans who have set themselves on fire to protest Chinese rule in Tibet. The tragedy (actually, one among many) is that self-immolations, a central part of the Tibetan protest movement, are one of the few ways Tibetans can protest non-violently.
What I find so profoundly sad is that the reason these (mostly) young people choose to kill themselves in such a horrifying way is "that is the only thing we can do without hurting other people", as one Tibetan said. How many other human rights struggles have seen such inward-directed anger and despair?
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