Sangdag Tsering set himself on fire at 7 pm in front of the Chinese administration offices in Dokarmo Town, Rebkong County. According to sources, earlier that day Chinese authorities had called a large meeting of local Tibetans during which they issued strict orders barring everyone from visiting families of self-immolators to pay their respects and condolences. They also warned that monasteries would be forced to shut down if they did not follow the decree.

Sangdag Tsering strategically chose the site of his self-immolation at the very place where the meeting had been held earlier. Chinese security personnel arrived at the scene and tried to douse the flames but Sangdag Tsering succumbed to his injuries. Thousands of Tibetans and monks from two close-by monasteries gathered at the protest site and carried his body to the Gonshul Sangag Mindrol Dhargeyling to perform his cremation services. According to the same source, Sangdag had in recent times repeatedly expressed his frustration over the lack of freedom in Tibet, His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s absence, and the continuing wave of self-immolations in Tibet.

About a week prior to his protest, he had written a short poem espousing loyalty to Tibet and sent it to a friend.

The last two lines of the poem written in Tibetan reads: “The brave men of the snow mountains, Don’t forget your loyalty to Tibet.”

Sangdag Tsering is survived by his parents, his wife Phagmo Tso, 24, and their son.