![\"Students](\"https:\/\/wp-media.patheos.com\/blogs\/sites\/83\/2012\/11\/tibet_not-fit-to-print.jpg\" "\\"tibet_not")
<\/a>The news regarding Tibetan self-immolations\u00a0speaks for itself:<\/strong><\/p>\n British Buddhist monk self-immolates at French monastery<\/a> (Nov 16)<\/p>\n Tibetan boy, 14, dies in self-immolation<\/a>\u00a0(Nov 15)<\/p>\n 2 Tibetans Dead After Self-Immolation Protests<\/a> (Nov 15)<\/p>\n China says 18-year-old Tibetan self-immolates:\u00a0Teenager\u2019s death latest of six self-immolations in the last week as China\u2019s communist leadership undergoes transfer of power<\/a> (Nov 11)<\/p>\n Slowly but surely these deaths are making their way into the mainstream media. But these aren\u2019t the fifth or sixth or even tenth or eleventh cases of self-immolation. According to writer and activist Joshua Eaton<\/a>, there have been 74 self-immolations inside Tibet<\/em> alone since 2009 (names, dates, etc here<\/a>).<\/strong><\/p>\n China\u2019s response? Massive\u00a0surveillance<\/a>\u00a0and guards with fire extinguishers<\/a>.<\/p>\n Everyone else\u2019s response: mostly nothing<\/a>.<\/p>\n The long answer is to educate yourself. While we\u2019ve seen rapid (though often very unstable) political change recently in several countries affected by the Arab Spring, it\u2019s unlikely that anything major will change in Tibet any time soon<\/strong>. Even if there is a major spike in protests<\/a>, I don\u2019t see any major changes in Tibet. Call me pessimistic, but this was my call in October 2007 for Burma<\/a> and it turned out to be correct. Internally, I don\u2019t think too much can be done. In fact, the most powerful thing that Tibetans\u00a0can do<\/em>, is to raise awareness outside of China-occupied Tibet.<\/p>\n And it is just this realization, I believe, that is driving so many to take their own lives in this manner \u2013 or, as they may understand it, to offer<\/em> their own lives. In Buddhism<\/a>, as in most religions, suicide is thought of as a grave offense and to take a \u2018precious human life\u2019 \u2013 including your own \u2013 results in an extraordinary amount of bad karma, that is, one will be reborn in hell (yes Buddhists have hells \u2013 18 of them). But, also like most religions, there can be a certain understanding of the sacrifice as a selfless act, motivated not out of self-hatred or a desire to die but out of deep compassion for others.<\/p>\n If you are in the US, contact your congressperson<\/a>. Avaaz has a petition you can sign here<\/a>\u00a0with over 1 million signatures and counting.<\/p>\n Get involved now however you can. Even if you start in a very passive role, simply \u2018liking\u2019 a pro-Tibet page on facebook, this will start\u00a0something<\/em>. It\u2019s like Shantideva\u2019s advice on generosity \u2013 start with carrots and potatoes (see below).<\/strong> If you care to give\/do more, do. Share this post. Share the news stories linked above or the organizations below. Nudge your friends. While I am (I think rightly) pessimistic about internal changes in Tibet, I am optimistic about society in general.<\/p>\n Visit the Students for a Free Tibet here:<\/p>\n https:\/\/www.studentsforafreetibet.org\/<\/a><\/p>\n or on facebook here:<\/p>\n https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/StudentsforaFreeTibet<\/a><\/p>\n SFT in the UK:<\/p>\n http:\/\/www.sftuk.org\/<\/a><\/p>\n And the blog for SFT in India:<\/p>\nWhat can you do?<\/h2>\n