Photo: Yak butter lamps in the Pelkhor monastery · Steve Hicks · CC BY 2.0
Human rights records · Memorial
Tibetan Self-Immolation Records and Memorial
A memorial and record of every known Tibetan self-immolation protest against the Chinese occupation, inside Tibet and in exile, with dates, places, sources and a map.
170people recorded
159inside Tibet
11in exile
134known to have died
Counts by source. The International Campaign for Tibet counts 159 self-immolations inside Tibet and 11 in exile, 127 of them fatal inside Tibet (updated 2026-07-03). The Central Tibetan Administration counts 157 inside Tibet, 136 of them fatal (updated 2022-03-14). V-TAG lists what each organisation documents and does not pick one figure where they differ.
Each of them had a name.
The first self-immolation protest in Tibetan society took place far from Tibet. On 27 April 1998, in Delhi, Thubten Ngodrup set fire to himself as Indian police broke up a Tibetan Youth Congress hunger strike (ICT). Inside Tibet, the first known protest came on 27 February 2009, when Tapey, a young monk of Kirti Monastery in Ngaba (Ch: Aba), Amdo, set himself alight at a crossroads in the county town after prayer ceremonies at his monastery had been cancelled; he raised a Tibetan flag bearing a photograph of the Dalai Lama before Chinese armed police opened fire on him (ICT).
From 16 March 2011, when the Kirti monk Phuntsog set fire to himself on the third anniversary of the 2008 protest at Kirti in which at least ten Tibetans were shot dead, the protests spread from Ngaba across Amdo, Kham and Ü-Tsang and reached their peak in 2012 (ICT; CTA). They took place under the Chinese occupation of Tibet, in conditions the sources describe record after record: monasteries locked down and put through “patriotic education” campaigns, monks taken away in trucks, a photograph of the Dalai Lama treated as grounds for detention, and an information blackout that leaves many outcomes impossible to confirm (ICT).
Those who left words asked for the same things: freedom for Tibet, the long life of His Holiness the Dalai Lama and his return to Tibet (ICT, citing Tibetan sources in exile). Among them were monks, nuns, nomads, farmers, students, a singer, a wood painter, fathers and mothers; the youngest were in their teens, the oldest over eighty.
V-TAG keeps this record so that each of them is remembered by name. Every entry is written in V-TAG’s own words from the published sources, above all the International Campaign for Tibet and the Central Tibetan Administration, and names them. Where the sources differ on a date, an age, a place or an outcome, both are given and the detail is marked unconfirmed. Nothing here depicts the protests themselves.
Site of a Tibetan Youth Congress hunger strike, Delhi, India
According to ICT, Thubten Ngodrup set fire to himself in Delhi on 27 April 1998 as Indian police broke up a Tibetan Youth Congress hunger strike. ICT describes…
President, Regional Tibetan Youth Congress, Bangalore · In front of the Taj Hotel, Mumbai, India
According to ICT, Lhakpa Tsering, president of the Regional Tibetan Youth Congress in Bangalore, set fire to himself on 23 November 2006 in protest at a visit to…
Outcome unknown · in exile · unconfirmed: place, outcome
In their twenties · Kirti Monastery (monk) · Crossroads in the market area of Ngaba (Ch: Aba) county town, Amdo
According to ICT, Tapey, a Kirti monk in his twenties, set fire to himself at a crossroads in Ngaba county town on 27 February 2009 after prayer ceremonies…
According to ICT, Phuntsog, a 20-year-old Kirti monk, set fire to himself in Ngaba county town on 16 March 2011, the third anniversary of the 2008 protest at…
Aged 29 · Nyitso Monastery (monk) · In front of the county government building, Tawu (Ch: Daofu) county town, Kham
According to ICT, Tsewang Norbu, a 29-year-old monk of Nyitso Monastery, set fire to himself in Tawu on 15 August 2011, calling for freedom and for the return…
Believed to be 18 · Kirti Monastery (monk) · Ngaba (Ch: Aba) county town, Amdo
According to ICT, Lobsang Kelsang and fellow Kirti monk Lobsang Kunchok, both believed to be about 18, set fire to themselves together in Ngaba county town on 26…
Believed to be 18 · Kirti Monastery (monk) · Ngaba (Ch: Aba) county town, Amdo
According to ICT, Lobsang Kunchok and fellow Kirti monk Lobsang Kelsang, both believed to be about 18, set fire to themselves together in Ngaba county town on 26…
Aged 17 · Kirti Monastery (monk) · Main street, Ngaba (Ch: Aba) county town, Amdo
According to ICT, citing Tibetans in exile in contact with the area, 17-year-old Kirti monk Kelsang Wangchuk set fire to himself on the main street of Ngaba county…
Aged 19 · Former monk of Kirti Monastery · Main road, Ngaba (Ch: Aba) county town, Amdo
According to ICT, Choepel and Kayang, two former Kirti monks who may have been expelled from the monastery, set fire to themselves together on the main road of…
Aged 18 · Former monk of Kirti Monastery · Main road, Ngaba (Ch: Aba) county town, Amdo
According to ICT, Kayang and Choepel, two former Kirti monks who may have been expelled from the monastery, set fire to themselves together on the main road of…
Aged 19 · Former monk of Kirti Monastery · Main street, Ngaba (Ch: Aba) county town, Amdo
According to ICT, citing exiled Tibetan sources, Norbu Damdrul, a 19-year-old former Kirti monk, set fire to himself on the main street of Ngaba county town shortly before…
Aged 20 · Mame Dechen Chokorling Nunnery (nun) · Sumdo bridge below Mame nunnery, about 3 km outside Ngaba (Ch: Aba) county town, Amdo
According to ICT, Tenzin Wangmo, a 20-year-old nun of Mame Dechen Chokorling nunnery, set fire to herself at the Sumdo bridge below the nunnery on 17 October 2011,…
According to ICT, Dawa Tsering, a 38-year-old monk, set fire to himself on the morning of 25 October 2011 inside Kardze Monastery during a religious ceremony attended by…
Aged 25 · Outside the Chinese embassy, New Delhi, India
According to ICT, Sherab Tsedor, 25, stepped off a public bus outside the Chinese embassy in New Delhi on 4 November 2011 and set fire to himself while…
According to ICT, a Tibetan monk later named as Bhutuk wrapped himself in a Tibetan flag and set fire to himself at the Boudhanath stupa in Kathmandu on…
In their forties · Former monk of Karma Monastery · Khamar township near Karma Monastery, Chamdo (Ch: Changdu), the so-called Tibet Autonomous Region
According to ICT, Tenzin Phuntsog, a former monk of Karma Monastery in his forties, set fire to himself in Chamdo on 1 December 2011, the first self-immolation protest…
Around twenty · Former monk of Kirti Monastery · Hotel courtyard and street at a crossroads in the centre of Ngaba (Ch: Aba) county town, Amdo
According to ICT, citing exiled Tibetan sources, Tsultrim and Tennyi, both about 20, set fire to themselves together in the courtyard of a hotel in the centre of…
Around twenty · Kirti Monastery (monk) · Hotel courtyard and street at a crossroads in the centre of Ngaba (Ch: Aba) county town, Amdo
According to ICT, citing exiled Tibetan sources, Tsultrim and Tennyi, both about 20, set fire to themselves together in the courtyard of a hotel in the centre of…
In their forties · Lama of Dungkyob Monastery · Darlag (Ch: Dari) county, Golog (Ch: Guoluo), Amdo
According to ICT, citing the Central Tibetan Administration, Sonam Wangyal, also known as Lama Sobha, a respected religious figure, set fire to himself early on the morning of…
In their twenties · Former monk of Andu Monastery; former pupil of Bontse school · Crossroads in Ngaba (Ch: Aba) county town, Amdo
According to ICT, citing exiled Tibetan sources, Losang Jamyang set fire to himself in Ngaba town at about 1.30 pm on 14 January 2012 and walked into the…
According to ICT, Sonam Rabyang, a monk of Lab Monastery, set fire to himself on 8 February 2012 in Triwang, the seat of Tridu county in Yulshul, Kham.…
Aged 18 · Mame Dechen Chokorling Nunnery (nun) · Sumdo bridge area below Mame nunnery, about 3 km from Ngaba (Ch: Aba) county town, Amdo
According to ICT, citing Kirti monks in exile, 18-year-old nun Tenzin Choedron set fire to herself early in the evening of 11 February 2012, shouting slogans against the…
Aged 38 · Bongthak Monastery (monk; member of its Democratic Management Committee) · Themchen (Ch: Tianjun) county town, Tsonub (Ch: Haixi), Amdo
According to ICT, Damchoe Sangpo, a 38-year-old monk of Bongthak Monastery and a member of its government-established management committee, set fire to himself in Themchen on 17 February…
Aged 18 · Layperson · Dzamthang (Ch: Rangtang) county, Amdo
According to ICT, 18-year-old Nangdrol, a layperson from Barma township in Dzamthang, set fire to himself on 19 February 2012 and died. Tibetans in the area told exile…
According to ICT, Tsering Kyi, a 19-year-old pupil at the Tibetan Middle School in Machu, set fire to herself in the vegetable market of Machu town on the…
Early thirties · Near a military camp close to Kirti Monastery, Ngaba (Ch: Aba) town, Amdo
According to ICT, Rinchen, a widowed mother in her early thirties, set fire to herself near a military camp close to Kirti Monastery in Ngaba on 4 March…
Aged 18 · Near the local government office, Cha (Ch: Jia) township, Ngaba (Ch: Aba) county, Amdo
According to ICT, citing Kirti monks in contact with the area, 18-year-old Dorjee set fire to himself at about 6.30 pm on 5 March 2012 and walked towards…
Aged 18 · Kirti Monastery (monk) · Near a Chinese military camp about 1.5 km from Kirti Monastery, Ngaba (Ch: Aba) county, Amdo
According to ICT, 18-year-old Kirti monk Gepey set fire to himself near a Chinese military camp about 1.5 km from the monastery on 10 March 2012 and died.
In their thirties · Rongwo (Rongpo) Monastery (monk) · Dolma Square near Rongwo Monastery, Rebkong (Ch: Tongren), Amdo
According to ICT, Jamyang Palden, a monk of Rongwo Monastery in his thirties, set fire to himself in Dolma Square on the morning of 14 March 2012, the…
Aged 20 · Kirti Monastery (monk) · Main road, upper part of Ngaba (Ch: Aba) county town, Amdo
According to ICT, Lobsang Tsultrim, a 20-year-old Kirti monk who had joined the monastery at the age of eight, set fire to himself on 16 March 2012 and…
Aged 44 · Farmer · Near the centre of Rongwo (Rongpo) town, Rebkong (Ch: Tongren), Amdo
According to ICT, Sonam Dargye, a 44-year-old farmer and father of three from Rongwo, set fire to himself near the centre of the town on 17 March 2012…
Aged 27 · New Delhi, India, at a protest ahead of a visit to India by Chinese President Hu Jintao
According to ICT, Jampa Yeshe set fire to himself in New Delhi on 26 March 2012 among several hundred demonstrators gathered ahead of an international summit to be…
Aged 20 · Ganden Tenpeling Monastery, Raruwa (monk) · Main road of Cha township, Ngaba (Ch: Aba) County, Amdo
According to ICT, citing Kirti monks in exile, Lobsang Sherab, a 20-year-old monk of the small Ganden Tenpeling Monastery in Raruwa, Ngaba, carried out a self-immolation protest in…
Aged 22 · Tsodun Monastery (monk) · Outside the prefecture government offices, Barkham (Ch: Ma’erkang), Ngaba, Amdo
According to ICT, Tenpa Darjey, a 22-year-old monk of Tsodun Monastery, set fire to himself together with fellow monk Chimey Palden outside the prefecture government offices in Barkham…
Aged 21 · Tsodun Monastery (monk) · Outside the prefecture government offices, Barkham (Ch: Ma’erkang), Ngaba, Amdo
According to ICT, Chimey Palden, a 21-year-old monk of Tsodun Monastery in Ngaba, set fire to himself together with fellow monk Tenpa Darjey outside the prefecture government offices…
Aged 45 · Reincarnate lama (tulku); former abbot of Dzamthang Monastery · His residence at Dzogchen Monastery, Dartsedo (Ch: Kangding) County, Kardze, Kham
Thubten Nyandak Rinpoche (Tulku Athup) and his niece Atse died in a fire at his residence at a monastery in Kardze on 6 April 2012. ICT records that…
Aged 23 · Residence of her uncle Tulku Athup at Dzogchen Monastery, Dartsedo (Ch: Kangding) County, Kardze, Kham
Atse died with her uncle, Thubten Nyandak Rinpoche (Tulku Athup), in a fire at his residence at a monastery in Kardze on 6 April 2012. ICT records that…
In their twenties · Near a local government office in Barma township, close to Jonang Dzamthang Gonchen Monastery, Dzamthang (Ch: Rangtang) County, Amdo
According to ICT, citing two exile Tibetan sources, Sonam and Choepak Kyap, two Tibetan men in their twenties, set fire to themselves together near a local government office…
In their twenties · Near a local government office in Barma township, close to Jonang Dzamthang Gonchen Monastery, Dzamthang (Ch: Rangtang) County, Amdo
According to ICT, citing two exile Tibetan sources, Choepak Kyap and Sonam, two Tibetan men in their twenties, set fire to themselves together near a local government office…
Aged 19 · Worked in a restaurant in Lhasa · Outside the Jokhang Temple, Lhasa, the so-called Tibet Autonomous Region, Ü-Tsang
According to ICT, Dorje Tseten, 19, set fire to himself together with Dargye outside the Jokhang Temple on 27 May 2012, during Saga Dawa, in the first self-immolation…
Believed to be 25 · Former monk of Kirti Monastery; worked in a restaurant in Lhasa · Outside the Jokhang Temple, Lhasa, the so-called Tibet Autonomous Region, Ü-Tsang
According to ICT, Dargye and Dorje Tseten set fire to themselves together outside the Jokhang Temple on 27 May 2012, during the holy month of Saga Dawa, in…
Aged 33 · From a nomadic family · Near Jonang Dzamthang Gonchen Monastery, Dzamthang (Ch: Rangtang) County, Amdo
According to ICT, Rikyo, a woman in her mid-thirties from a nomadic family, set fire to herself near Jonang Dzamthang Gonchen Monastery on 30 May 2012. Chinese security…
In their fifties · From a nomadic family · In front of the People’s Armed Police base, Chentsa (Ch: Jianzha) county town, Malho, Amdo
According to ICT, citing Tibetan sources in exile, Tamdin Thar, a Tibetan from a nomadic family, set fire to himself early on 15 June 2012 in front of…
Aged 22 · Dzatoe (Ch: Zaduo) township, Tridu (Ch: Chenduo) County, Yulshul (as reported by RFA), Kham
Radio Free Asia, cited by ICT, reported that Ngawang Norphel, 22, and former monk Tenzin Khedup, 24, set fire to themselves together on 20 June 2012 in Yulshul,…
Aged 24 · Former monk · Dzatoe (Ch: Zaduo) township, Tridu (Ch: Chenduo) County, Yulshul (as reported by RFA), Kham
Radio Free Asia, cited by ICT, reported that former monk Tenzin Khedup, 24, and Ngawang Norphel, 22, set fire to themselves together on 20 June 2012 in Yulshul,…
In their forties · Kyegu town near Dhondupling Monastery, Kyegudo (Ch: Yushu), Kham
Phayul, cited by ICT, reported that Dickyi Choezom, a mother of two in her forties, set fire to herself in Kyegu town near Dhondupling Monastery on 27 June…
Aged 22 · Nomad · Main market, Damshung (Ch: Dangxiong), the so-called Tibet Autonomous Region, Ü-Tsang
Phayul, cited by ICT, reported that Tsewang Dorjee, a 22-year-old nomad from Damshung in central Tibet, set fire to himself on 7 July 2012, calling out slogans and…
Aged 18 · Gedhen Tashi Choeling Monastery, an affiliate of Kirti Monastery (monk) · In front of the main assembly hall of Gedhen Tashi Choeling Monastery (Tsodun Kirti), Barkham (Ch: Ma’erkang), Amdo
According to ICT, citing Kirti monks in Dharamsala, Losang Lozin, an 18-year-old monk, set fire to himself in front of the main assembly hall of his monastery, Gedhen…
Aged 21 · Kirti Monastery (monk) · Main street, Ngaba (Ch: Aba) county town, near Kirti Monastery, Amdo
According to ICT, citing Kirti monks in exile, Lobsang Tsultrim, a 21-year-old Kirti monk from Cha township who had joined the monastery as a child, set fire to…
In their twenties · Mother, from a farming family · Near a white stupa at Tsoe Gaden Choeling Monastery, Tsoe (Ch: Hezuo), Amdo
According to ICT, Dolkar Tso, a mother in her mid-twenties from a farming family, set fire to herself near a white stupa at Tsoe Gaden Choeling Monastery on…
Aged 24 · Meuruma township, Ngaba (Ch: Aba) County, Amdo
According to ICT, citing Kirti monks in exile, Chopa, 24, set fire to himself in Meuruma township on 10 August 2012, calling out in protest against the Chinese…
About 20 · Kirti Monastery (monk, student at its medical college) · Prayer-wheel enclosure on the perimeter of Kirti Monastery and the road leading into Ngaba (Ch: Aba) town, Amdo
According to ICT, citing Kirti monks in exile, Lungtok, a monk of about 20 studying at Kirti Monastery’s medical college, and a layman named Tashi set fire to…
Aged 21 · Layman (ICT); CTA describes him as a former monk of Kirti Monastery · Prayer-wheel enclosure on the perimeter of Kirti Monastery and the road leading into Ngaba (Ch: Aba) town, Amdo
According to ICT, citing Kirti monks in exile, Tashi, a 21-year-old from the Soruma pastoral area of Choejema township, set fire to himself together with the monk Lungtok…
Aged 18 · Kirti Monastery (monk), per CTA · Near the eastern gate of Kirti Monastery, Ngaba (Ch: Aba), Amdo
According to ICT, citing Kirti monks in exile, Lobsang Kelsang, 18, and Lobsang Damchoe, 17, believed to be cousins, set fire to themselves near the eastern gate of…
Aged 17 · Former monk · Near the eastern gate of Kirti Monastery, Ngaba (Ch: Aba), Amdo
According to ICT, citing Kirti monks in exile, Lobsang Damchoe, a 17-year-old former monk, and Lobsang Kelsang, 18, believed to be his cousin, set fire to themselves near…
According to ICT and the Central Tibetan Administration, Passang Lhamo, 62, from Kyegudo (Ch: Yushu), set fire to herself in Beijing on 13 September 2012 after repeated appeals…
Aged 27 · Layperson · Main road, Dzatoe (Ch: Zaduo) county town, Yulshul, Kham
According to ICT, citing Tibetans in exile, Yangdang set fire to himself on the main road of Dzatoe county town on the evening of 29 September 2012, calling…
Aged 43 · Writer · Nagchu (Ch: Naqu), the so-called Tibet Autonomous Region (CTA: Driru), Ü-Tsang
According to ICT, Gudrub, a 43-year-old writer from Driru, set fire to himself in Nagchu on 4 October 2012, calling for freedom in Tibet and for the return…
Aged 27 · Layperson · Near the local monastery, Tsoe (Ch: Hezuo), Kanlho, Amdo
Voice of America, cited by ICT, reported that Sangay Gyatso, 27, set fire to himself near the local monastery in Tsoe on 6 October 2012, calling for the…
Early fifties · Layman; grandfather of a young reincarnate lama of Labrang Tashikyil Monastery · Near a white stupa beside Tsoe Gaden Choeling Monastery, Tsoe (Ch: Hezuo), Amdo
According to ICT, Tamdin Dorje set fire to himself and died on 13 October 2012 near the white stupa beside Tsoe Gaden Choeling Monastery, where Dolkar Tso had…
In their sixties · Beside the Serkhang temple, Labrang Tashikyil Monastery, Sangchu (Ch: Xiahe) County, Amdo
According to ICT, Dhondup, a Tibetan man in his sixties, set fire to himself on the morning of 22 October 2012 beside the Serkhang temple on the pilgrimage…
Aged 20 · Bankar Monastery / Bankar village, Driru (ICT) · Near a government building in Nagchu (Ch: Naqu), the so-called Tibet Autonomous Region (CTA: Driru), Ü-Tsang
According to ICT, Tsepo and Tenzin, two Tibetans in their twenties from Bankar Monastery and Bankar village in Driru (Ch: Biru), set fire to themselves together near a…
Aged 25 · Bankar Monastery / Bankar village, Driru (ICT) · Near a government building in Nagchu (Ch: Naqu), the so-called Tibet Autonomous Region (CTA: Driru), Ü-Tsang
According to ICT, Tenzin and Tsepo, two Tibetans in their twenties from Bankar Monastery and Bankar village in Driru (Ch: Biru), set fire to themselves together near a…
Mid-twenties · Nomad · In front of the military base and township administration, Amchok, Sangchu (Ch: Xiahe) County, Amdo
According to ICT, Lhamo Tseten, a Tibetan nomad in his mid-twenties, married with a young daughter, carried out a self-immolation protest in front of the local military base…
Early-twenties · Near the bus stand in Setri village, Sangkok township, Sangchu (Ch: Xiahe) County, Amdo
According to ICT, Tsewang Kyab set fire to himself near the bus stand in Setri village in Sangkok township, Sangchu (Ch: Xiahe) County, on 26 October 2012, the…
Mid-twenties · Farmer · Taglung South Street, west of Rongwo Monastery, Rebkong (Ch: Tongren), Amdo
According to ICT, Dorjee Lhundrup, a young farmer and father of two from Chuma village, set fire to himself on the morning of 4 November 2012 on Taglung…
Aged 15 · Ngoshul Monastery (monk) · Near the police station at Tsodrug village, Gomang township, Ngaba (Ch: Aba) County, Amdo
According to ICT, citing Kirti monks in exile, three young monks of Ngoshul Monastery in Ngaba (Ch: Aba) County set fire to themselves together at around 3 pm…
Aged 16 · Ngoshul Monastery (monk) · Near the police station at Tsodrug village, Gomang township, Ngaba (Ch: Aba) County, Amdo
According to ICT, citing Kirti monks in exile, Samdrup was one of three young monks of Ngoshul Monastery in Ngaba (Ch: Aba) County who set fire to themselves…
Aged 16 · Ngoshul Monastery (monk) · Near the police station at Tsodrug village, Gomang township, Ngaba (Ch: Aba) County, Amdo
According to ICT, citing Kirti monks in exile, Dorjee Kyab was one of three young monks of Ngoshul Monastery in Ngaba (Ch: Aba) County who set fire to…
Aged 23 · Centre of Drorong Po village, Dowa township, Rebkong (Ch: Tongren), Amdo
According to ICT, Tamding Tso, a 23-year-old mother of a young son, set fire to herself and died in the centre of Drorong Po village in Dowa township,…
Aged 27 · Bekar (Bankar) township, Driru (Ch: Biru) County, Nagchu, the so-called Tibet Autonomous Region, Kham
According to TCHRD, cited by ICT, Tsegyal set fire to himself in Tingser village, Bekar township, Driru (Ch: Biru) County on 7 November 2012 and was taken into…
Aged 19 · Student · In front of a monastery in Tsoe (Ch: Hezuo), Kanlho (Ch: Gannan), Amdo
According to ICT, Gonpo Tsering, a 19-year-old known as one of the brightest students at his school, set fire to himself in front of a monastery in Tsoe…
According to ICT, Nyangkar Tashi set fire to himself at around 3:15 pm on 12 November 2012 at Kadmar Thang in Dowa township, Rebkong (Ch: Tongren), while Tibetans…
Aged 20 · Dowa township, Rebkong (Ch: Tongren), Amdo
According to ICT, Nyangchang Bum, the eldest of three brothers, set fire to himself and died early in the evening of 12 November 2012 in Dowa township, Rebkong…
Phayul reported, as cited by ICT, that 18-year-old Khabum Gyal set fire to himself near the town of Rebkong (Ch: Tongren) on the morning of 15 November 2012…
Phayul reported, as cited by ICT, that 23-year-old Tenzin Dolma set fire to herself at around noon on 15 November 2012 in the Tsemo area of Rebkong (Ch:…
Aged 24 · Outside a government building, Dokarmo township, Tsekhog (Ch: Zeku) County, Amdo
According to ICT, Sangdag Tsering, a young father, set fire to himself at around 7 pm on 17 November 2012 outside a government building in Dokarmo township, Tsekhog…
Aged 25 · Near Kangtsa Gaden Choephelling Monastery, Yadzi (Ch: Xunhua) County, Tsoshar (Ch: Haidong), Amdo
Voice of America Tibetan reported, as cited by ICT, that Wangchen Norbu set fire to himself at around 8 pm on 19 November 2012 near Kangtsa Gaden Choephelling…
Aged 24 · Farmer and nomad · Near a mining site in Amchok, Sangchu (Ch: Xiahe) County, Amdo
According to ICT, Tsering Dundrup, a farmer and nomad from Amchok in Sangchu (Ch: Xiahe) County, set fire to himself at around 9 am on 20 November 2012.…
Aged 18 · Main street, Dowa township, Rebkong (Ch: Tongren), Amdo
According to ICT, 18-year-old Lubhum Gyal set fire to himself on the main street of Dowa township in Rebkong (Ch: Tongren) on 22 November 2012 and died. Tibetans…
Aged 23 · Former monk of Shitsang Monastery; nomad · Near the Luchu river, Luchu (Ch: Luqu) County, Amdo
According to ICT, Tamdrin Kyab, a former monk of Shitsang Monastery who had left monastic life in 2007 to help his nomadic family, set fire to himself at…
Aged 29 · In front of a government building, Dokarmo township, Tsekhog (Ch: Zeku) County, Amdo
According to ICT, Tamdrin Dorjee, from Dokarmo township in Tsekhog (Ch: Zeku), set fire to himself in front of a government building there on 23 November 2012 and…
Aged 17 · Nun · In front of the Chinese government office, Dokarmo town, Tsekhog (Ch: Zeku) County, Amdo
Phayul reported, as cited by ICT, that Sangay Dolma, a nun, set fire to herself in protest against the Chinese occupation of Tibet in front of the Chinese…
Aged 18 · Near a mining site in Amchok, Sangchu (Ch: Xiahe) County, Amdo
Phayul reported, as cited by ICT, that 18-year-old Kunchok Tsering set fire to himself and died on 26 November 2012 near a mining site in the Amchok area…
Aged 24 · Ala Dheu Monastery, Luchu (Ch: Luqu) County, Amdo
ICT lists Gonpo Tsering, 24, among four Tibetans reported by Radio Free Asia to have set fire to themselves on 26 November 2012, in Luchu (Ch: Luqu) County;…
Aged 24 · Herder · Outside a government office, Kyangtsa township, Dzoege (Ch: Ruo’ergai) County, Amdo
According to ICT, citing Tibetan monks in exile, Kelsang Kyab, a 24-year-old herder, set fire to himself outside a government office in Kyangtsa township in the early evening…
Aged 18 · Sangkhog, Labrang, Sangchu (Ch: Xiahe) County, Amdo
ICT lists 18-year-old Sanggye Tashi as having set fire to himself in Sangkhog, in the Labrang area of Sangchu (Ch: Xiahe) County, on 27 November 2012, and as…
Phayul reported, as cited by ICT, that Wande Khar set fire to himself in Tsoe (Ch: Hezuo) on 28 November 2012 and died. Eyewitnesses said he called for…
Aged 31 · Near the local Chinese government office, Luchu (Ch: Luqu) County, Amdo
Phayul reported, as cited by ICT, that Tsering Namgyal, a 31-year-old father of two from Luchu, set fire to himself near the local Chinese government office in Luchu…
Voice of America Tibetan reported, as cited by ICT, that 29-year-old Kunchok Kyab carried out a self-immolation protest in Ngaba (Ch: Aba) on 30 November 2012 and was…
Aged 17 · On the road to Bora Monastery, Sangchu (Ch: Xiahe) County, Amdo
According to ICT, citing Tibetans in exile, 17-year-old Sungdue Kyab, a young father, set fire to himself on the road to Bora Monastery in Sangchu (Ch: Xiahe) County…
According to ICT, Lobsang Geleg, a 29-year-old monk, set fire to himself at the main intersection of Pema (Ch: Banma) county town on 3 December 2012 and died…
Aged 24 · Taktsang Lhamo Kirti Monastery (monk) · Outside the main assembly hall of Taktsang Lhamo Kirti Monastery, Dzoege (Ch: Ruo’ergai) County, Amdo
According to ICT, 24-year-old monk Kunchok Pelgye set fire to himself outside the main assembly hall of Taktsang Lhamo Kirti Monastery in Dzoege (Ch: Ruo’ergai) County on 8…
Aged 23 · Near the main assembly hall of Shitsang Garser Monastery, Luchu (Ch: Luqu) County, Amdo
According to ICT, Pema Dorjee had gone to Shitsang Garser Monastery in Luchu (Ch: Luqu) to pray on the anniversary of Tsongkhapa’s passing, when many people were present,…
According to ICT, 17-year-old student Wangchen Kyi set fire to herself at around 8 pm on 9 December 2012 in the Dokarmo nomadic area of Tsekhog (Ch: Zeku)…
Aged 22 · Main street of Amchok township, Sangchu (Ch: Xiahe) County, Amdo
According to ICT, Tsering Tashi carried out a self-immolation protest on the main street of Amchok township on 12 January 2013 and died. Tibetans who knew him described…
In their twenties · Drachen village, Marthang (Ch: Hongyuan) County (ICT: "Marthong county"), Amdo
According to Tibetan exile sources cited by ICT, a man in his twenties named as Tsering Phuntsok, also known as Drupchak, carried out a self-immolation protest in Drachen…
Aged 26 · Between the local monastery and Bora township, Sangchu (Ch: Xiahe) County, Amdo
ICT reported that Konchok Kyab, from Bora in Sangchu county, set fire to himself around midday on 22 January 2013 near the local monastery in protest against Chinese…
Mid-thirties · Kirti Monastery (monk) · Outside the Public Security Bureau of Dzoege (Ch: Ruo’ergai) County, Amdo
According to ICT, Lobsang Namgyal, a monk of Kirti Monastery in Ngaba, carried out a self-immolation protest outside the Public Security Bureau of Dzoege county on 3 February…
In their twenties · Amchok town, Sangchu (Ch: Xiahe) County, Amdo
According to Tibetan exile sources and Radio Free Asia’s Tibetan service, cited by ICT, Drugpa Khar set fire to himself in Amchok town on 13 February 2013, the…
Aged 25 · Monk, recently arrived from Kardze (Ch: Ganzi), Kham · Beside the Boudha Stupa, Kathmandu, Nepal
According to ICT, Drupchen Tsering, a 25-year-old monk who had recently come to Nepal from Kardze (Ch: Ganzi) in Kham, set fire to himself beside the Boudha Stupa…
Aged 49 · Farmer from a nomadic area · Main street of Labrang, near Labrang Monastery, Sangchu (Ch: Xiahe) County, Amdo
According to ICT, Namlha Tsering, a 49-year-old farmer from a nomadic area, set fire to himself on the main street of Labrang, not far from Labrang Monastery, on…
Aged 17 · Dzoege area of Ngaba (ICT: "Dzoege township, Ngaba county"; CTA: Kyangtsa village, Dzoege county), Amdo
According to ICT, 17-year-old Rinchen set fire to himself at about 9:30 p.m. on 19 February 2013 together with 18-year-old Sonam Dhargye, in protest against the Chinese government,…
Aged 18 · Dzoege area of Ngaba (ICT: "Dzoege township, Ngaba county"; CTA: Kyangtsa village, Dzoege county), Amdo
According to ICT, 18-year-old Sonam Dhargye set fire to himself at about 9:30 p.m. on 19 February 2013 together with 17-year-old Rinchen, in protest against the Chinese government,…
Early twenties · Chachung (Jakhyung) Monastery, Bayen (Ch: Hualong) County, Tsoshar (Ch: Haidong), Amdo
According to Tibetan sources in exile cited by ICT, Phagmo Dundrup set fire to himself on the evening of 24 February 2013 at Chachung Monastery, an ancient Gelug…
Late twenties · In front of the main temple of Shitsang Gonsar Monastery, Luchu (Ch: Luqu) County, Amdo
According to ICT, Tsesung Kyab set fire to himself on 25 February 2013 in front of the main temple of Shitsang Gonsar Monastery in Luchu, where many Tibetans…
ICT lists Kunchok Wangmo with a caveat: because of restrictions on information, it is not known whether she self-immolated. Chinese state media (Xinhua) reported in August 2013 that…
According to ICT, Lobsang Thogme, a 28-year-old Kirti monk, set fire to himself on 16 March 2013, the fifth anniversary of the 2008 protest in Ngaba in which…
Aged 30 · Near Jonang Gonchen Monastery, Dzamthang (Ch: Rangtang) County, Amdo
According to Tibetan exile sources cited by ICT, Kalkyi, a 30-year-old Tibetan woman and mother of four, set fire to herself near Jonang Gonchen Monastery in Dzamthang on…
Aged 28 · Mokri Monastery (monk) · Near Mokri Monastery, Luchu (Ch: Luqu) County, Amdo
According to Kirti monks in exile in Dharamsala, cited by ICT, Konchok Tenzin, a monk who had joined Mokri Monastery as a child, set fire to himself near…
Aged 20 · Near Jonang Monastery, Dzamthang (Ch: Rangtang) County (CTA), Amdo
ICT lists Chugtso, aged 20, as having died after a self-immolation protest in Dzamthang county on 16 April 2013, citing Radio Free Asia, which reported that thousands of…
Aged 20 · Taktsang Lhamo Kirti Monastery (monk) · Assembly hall of Taktsang Lhamo Kirti Monastery, Dzoege (Ch: Ruo’ergai) County, Amdo
According to Kirti monks in exile cited by ICT, Losang Dawa, 20, and fellow monk Konchok Woeser, 23, set fire to themselves in the assembly hall of Taktsang…
Aged 23 · Taktsang Lhamo Kirti Monastery (monk) · Assembly hall of Taktsang Lhamo Kirti Monastery, Dzoege (Ch: Ruo’ergai) County, Amdo
According to Kirti monks in exile cited by ICT, Konchok Woeser, 23, and fellow monk Losang Dawa, 20, set fire to themselves in the assembly hall of Taktsang…
Early thirties · Nun, Barshab Dragkar retreat · Near Nyatso Monastery, Tawu (Ch: Daofu) County, Kham
According to ICT, Wangchen Dolma, a nun who lived at the mountain retreat of Barshab Dragkar, set fire to herself on 11 June 2013 near Nyatso Monastery in…
According to ICT, Kunchok Sonam, an 18-year-old monk regarded as an exceptional student, set fire to himself and died outside his monastery in Thangkor, Dzoege, on 20 July…
According to ICT, Karma Ngedon Gyatso, a 38-year-old monk who had come into exile from Tibet in October 2011 and lived with a severe disability, set fire to…
Aged 40 · Gomang village, Ngaba (Ch: Aba) County, Amdo
According to Kirti monks in exile cited by ICT, Shichung, a 40-year-old father of two, set fire to himself on 28 September 2013 in Gomang village and ran…
According to Tibetan sources cited by ICT, including a Tibetan who spoke to an eyewitness, Tsering Gyal, a 20-year-old monk of the Jonang-tradition Akyong Monastery, set fire to…
Aged 30 · A road in Meruma township, Ngaba (Ch: Aba) County, Amdo
According to ICT, Kunchok Tseten, a father of two, set fire to himself in Meruma township in Ngaba and collapsed in the road, and local people tried to…
According to the Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy (TCHRD), cited by ICT, Tsultrim Gyatso, a monk of Amchok Monastery, died in a self-immolation protest in Amchok…
According to Radio Free Asia's Tibetan service, as cited by ICT, Kunchok Tsomo carried out a self-immolation protest in late March 2013 against the planned destruction of her…
Aged 25 · Former monk of Kirti Monastery · Main road near Kirti Monastery, Ngaba (Ch: Aba) county town, Amdo
According to ICT, Lobsang Dorje, a 25-year-old former Kirti monk, set fire to himself on 13 February 2014 on the main road near Kirti Monastery in Ngaba county…
Aged 20 · Kirti Monastery (monk) · Ngaba (Ch: Aba) county town (CTA: "Pawo Lane"), Amdo
Radio Free Asia, cited by ICT, reported that Lobsang Palden, a Kirti monk, set fire to himself in Ngaba county town on 16 March 2014. Monks citing local…
Late twenties · Sonak Gedun Tashi Choling Monastery (monk) · Near Sonak Gedun Tashi Choling Monastery, Tsekhog (Ch: Zeku) County, Amdo
According to ICT, Jigme Tenzin, a monk in his late twenties, set fire to himself near his monastery, Sonak Gedun Tashi Choling, on 16 March 2014. Monks rushed…
Aged 31 · Nun · Outside Ba Choede Monastery, Bathang (Ch: Batang) County, Kham
According to ICT, Dolma, a nun reported to be 31, set fire to herself outside Ba Choede Monastery on 29 March 2014, the first self-immolation protest in Bathang…
Aged 32 · Khangsar township, Tawu (Ch: Daofu) County, Kham
Radio Free Asia, cited by ICT, reported that Thinley Namgyal, 32, set fire to himself at noon on 15 April 2014 in Khangsar township, Tawu county, in protest…
Aged 42 · Outside a police station in Tsangkor town, Gade (Ch: Gande) County, Golog (Ch: Guoluo) Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Amdo
According to ICT, Kunchok set fire to himself outside a police station in Tsangkor town in Gade (Ch: Gande) County on 16 September 2014. Tibetans nearby put out…
Early twenties · Student · Outside the Public Security Bureau headquarters, Tsoe (Ch: Hezuo), Kanlho (Ch: Gannan) Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Amdo
According to ICT, Lhamo Tashi, a student in Tsoe (Ch: Hezuo), set fire to himself around midnight outside a government Public Security Bureau headquarters in the town where…
Aged 33 · In front of a police station in Amchok town, Sangchu (Ch: Xiahe) County, Kanlho (Ch: Gannan) Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Amdo
ICT reported a self-immolation protest by Sangye Khar in Amchok town, Sangchu (Ch: Xiahe) County, on 16 December 2014, and said he was believed to come from a…
Aged 19 · Herder · Centre of a town in Ngaba (Ch: Aba) County (the CTA gives Meuruma township), Amdo
According to ICT, citing Kirti monks in exile, Tseypey, a 19-year-old woman from Meuruma township who had worked as a herder with her family, set fire to herself…
Late twenties or thirties · Nyitso Monastery (monk) · Near a police station by Nyitso Monastery, Tawu (Ch: Daofu) County, Kardze (Ch: Ganzi) Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Kham
According to ICT, citing Tibetans in exile, Kalsang Yeshe, a monk of Nyitso Monastery known for teaching others about Buddhism, set fire to himself and died near a…
In their forties · Nun · Kardze (Ch: Ganzi) Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture (the CTA gives Tsonggo township, Drango (Ch: Luhuo) County), Kham
According to ICT, citing Tibetan sources, Yeshi Kandro, a nun in her forties, set fire to herself in Kardze (Ch: Ganzi) on 8 April 2015. The same sources…
Forties or fifties · Beside a shrine with religious offerings, Ngaba (Ch: Aba) County (the CTA gives Adue Yultso), Amdo
According to ICT, Neykyab set fire to himself and died beside a shrine with religious offerings in Ngaba (Ch: Aba) County on 16 April 2015. Tibetan sources said…
Early thirties · Outside a government building, Tawu (Ch: Daofu) County (the CTA gives Khangsar township), Kham
According to ICT, citing Tibetan sources, Tenzin Gyatso, a father of four, set fire to himself outside a government building used for political education in Tawu (Ch: Daofu),…
Aged 36 · Outside the Party and government offices near Tashi Choekhorling Monastery, Dorkok township, Chone (Ch: Zhuoni) County, Amdo
According to ICT, Sangye Tso, a mother of two, set fire to herself and died outside government offices near Tashi Choekhorling Monastery in Dorkok township, Chone (Ch: Zhuoni)…
Late twenties · Monk · Main square (the CTA gives Gesar Square), Kyegudo (Ch: Yushu), Kham
According to ICT, citing Tibetan exile sources, Sonam Tobgyal, a monk in his late twenties, set fire to himself in the main square of Kyegudo (Ch: Yushu) amid…
Aged 55 · Nomad resettlement site, Sangkok township, Sangchu (Ch: Xiahe) County, Kanlho (Ch: Gannan) Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Amdo
According to ICT, Tashi Kyi, a mother of four, set fire to herself at her home in a nomad resettlement site in Sangkok township, apparently in protest against…
Aged 26 · Near a bus station in Shagchukha village, Driru (Ch: Biru) County, Nagchu, the so-called Tibet Autonomous Region, Kham
According to the CTA, as reported by ICT in January 2021, Shurmo carried out a self-immolation protest near a bus station in Shagchukha village around 1 pm on…
Radio Free Asia reported, as cited by ICT, that Kalsang Wangdu, an 18-year-old monk, set fire to himself around 4 pm near his monastery, Retsokha Aryaling, in Nyagrong…
Aged 16 · Student, Tibetan Children's Village school, Mussoorie · Dehradun, India
According to ICT, Dorjee Tsering, a 16-year-old student at the Tibetan Children's Village school in Mussoorie, set fire to himself in Dehradun, India, on 29 February 2016 and…
Aged 24 · Near Tsoga Monastery (CTA), Nyagrong (Ch: Xinlong) County, Kardze (Ch: Ganzi) Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Kham
According to ICT, Pema Gyaltsen carried out a self-immolation protest in Nyagrong, Kham, on 18 March 2017 and was taken away by Chinese security forces. Voice of America's…
Aged 30 · Kardze (Ch: Ganzi) Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture (the CTA gives Nyagrong (Ch: Xinlong) County), Kham
According to ICT, footage emerged of a self-immolation protest on 15 April 2017 by Wangchuk Tseten, a father of three from Kardze (Ch: Ganzi) Prefecture. The footage showed…
Aged 16 · Student · Near Bora Monastery, Bora (Ch: Bola), Sangchu (Ch: Xiahe) County, Kanlho (Ch: Gannan) Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Amdo
Sources in the region told Radio Free Asia, as cited by ICT, that Chagdor Kyab, a 16-year-old student, set fire to himself near Bora Monastery on 2 May…
In their twenties · Monk · Near the county hospital (the CTA says in front of a Mani temple), Chentsa (Ch: Jianzha), Malho (Ch: Huangnan) Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Amdo
According to ICT, citing Tibetan sources, Jamyang Losel, a young monk, set fire to himself near the county hospital in Chentsa (Ch: Jianzha); ICT counted his as the…
Around 20 · Student, Central University for Tibetan Studies · Central University for Tibetan Studies, Sarnath, Varanasi, India
According to ICT, Tenzin Choeying, a Tibetan student, set fire to himself around 9 am at the entrance of a residential hall of the Central University for Tibetan…
Aged 49 · Wood painter, Norbulingka Institute · Near Lhagyal Ri on the pilgrimage circuit around the Tsuglagkhang (main temple), Dharamsala, India
According to ICT, Dhondup, a 49-year-old wood painter at the Norbulingka Institute who was born in Gyantse (Ch: Jiangzi) and came to India in 1991, died after setting…
In their sixties · Monk and volunteer teacher · Kardze (Ch: Ganzi), Kham (the CTA lists the location as the main road near Kirti Monastery, Ngaba (Ch: Aba) County)
According to ICT, citing Tibetan sources, Tenga, a respected monk in his sixties who had worked as a volunteer teacher, set fire to himself and died in Kardze…
Aged 23 · Near Choejema (Ch: Qiujima), Ngaba (Ch: Aba) County, Amdo
According to ICT, citing Kirti monks in exile Kanyag Tsering and Lobsang Yeshe, Dorbe, a 23-year-old man from the pastoral Choejema (Ch: Qiujima) township, set fire to himself…
According to ICT, citing Tibetan sources, Drugkho, a young man, set fire to himself in Ngaba (Ch: Aba) on 8 December 2018. ICT said news of the protest…
Aged 24 · Former monk of Kirti Monastery; pastoralist · Town centre near Meuruma (CTA), Ngaba (Ch: Aba) County, Amdo
According to ICT, citing Kirti monks in exile Kanyag Tsering and Lobsang Yeshe, Yonten, a 24-year-old former monk of Kirti Monastery who had returned to lay life as…
Aged 25 · Singer · Barpokaling Stupa in front of the Potala Palace, Lhasa, Ü-Tsang
According to ICT, the popular Tibetan singer Tsewang Norbu carried out a self-immolation protest on 25 February 2022 at the Barpokaling Stupa in front of the Potala Palace…
Aged 81 · In front of the police station outside Kirti Monastery, Ngaba (Ch: Aba) County, Amdo
According to ICT, Taphun, an 81-year-old Tibetan, carried out a self-immolation protest in front of the police station outside Kirti Monastery in Ngaba (Ch: Aba) County on 27…
Aged 52 · Tibetan activist; President of the Tibetan National Congress of New York and New Jersey; former monk of Gaden Jangtse Monastery · In front of United Nations Headquarters, New York City, United States
According to ICT, Lobsang Palden, widely known as Lobga Rangzen, carried out a self-immolation protest outside United Nations Headquarters in New York on the evening of 2 July…
Died · in exile
Sources & References
The International Campaign for Tibet’s self-immolation fact sheet is the primary source; the Central Tibetan Administration’s fact sheet is the cross-check for cases inside Tibet. Each account is written in V-TAG’s own words and attributed to the source that reported it. Where the sources differ on a name, a date, an age or an outcome, the record says so and the detail is labelled unconfirmed.
Primary records
Self-immolation fact sheetInternational Campaign for Tibet · primary · updated 2026-07-03 · cited in 170 records
