Yeah, I read about this as well and was pretty saddened by these self-immolaters. I remember seeing that film, Seven Years in Tibet with Brad Pitt and remember it's focus on the Dalai Lama and the invasion by the Chinese. It amazes me the conviction of many of these monks who feel so strongly against Chinese rule that they would die for this cause. In a different article I read that China had authorized a larger military presence in Tibet and soldiers were instructed to put out self-immolaters and immediately take them to the hospital and have them survive. It seems to me that it's a very sad situation for Tibetans who wish to return to their customs and do not agree or wish to adhere to the Chinese communist state.

Thanks for sharing the article. Self immolation as a form of protest comes up in our history texts in the context of the Vietnam War. It's a disturbing topic to address as a teacher- like taking Gandhi's ethics of non-violence and adding a twist that from our perspective is very disturbing. I have never discussed the issue with my students as a teacher. How do we even begin to explain the rationale?