Police reveal fraud behind self-immolations in Qinghai(3)

FRAUD

On Nov. 15 last year, Tamzin Zhoima, a 23-year-old villager from another township in Tongren, set herself ablaze. On Nov. 22, her father Urglo contacted overseas people via domestic intermediators, planning to offer 25,000 yuan (about 3,980 U.S. dollars) for the Dalai Lama and Indian monks to chant Buddhist scriptures for his daughter, Lyu said.

"Investigations showed that 8,000 yuan was arranged to be given directly to the Dalai Lama and the rest to monks attending the ritual," said Lyu.

"The money has not been remitted, yet overseas people have advanced the fees for him. There has been hard evidence to prove that the Dalai Lama clique has both claimed lives and swindled people," he said.

Phagpa, a young Tibetan in Dowa Town of Tongren, attended the funerals of six self-immolators, including Jinpa. He offered donations for their families and worked to spread ideas related to separatism and "Tibetan independence."

Phagpa himself attempted to incite a 24-year-old monk, Drolma Je, to self-immolate, but the monk was discovered and prevented from doing so by his relatives, according to police.

In 2005, Phagpa illegally left China for India, where he received comprehensive training at an institute specially created for the "Tibetan independence" forces of the Dalai Lama clique.

After his return in July 2011, Phagpa worked as a teacher and organized free English training classes. In June 2012, he joined an illegal association in Tongren and delivered agitative speeches at the funerals of self-immolators on behalf of the organization.

On Nov. 8, 2012, Phagpa organized more than 50 primary school students and local herders to gather in front of the Dowa township government, shouting slogans related to "Tibetan independence."

Drolma Je said he had known Phagpa prior to the latter's trip to India, meeting him in June and July last year. Phagpa told him "self-immolation will be conducive to the return of the Dalai Lama to the Tibetan region and a good thing for Tibetans."

Phagpa and Drolma Je have been detained and charged with murder and endangering public security, respectively.