"Today, we are going through acritical period of time. We are a nation with an ancient culture, which is now facing the threat of extinction. We need your help, the international community's help, to protect our culture. Our culture is one of the heritages of the world. Protecting an ancient culture like this is the responsibility not only of the concerned nation, but also of the world community as a whole."

"Like any other nation, Tibet and Tibetans are also entitled to human rights, including the right to preservation of their separate identity and way of life. To achieve this goal they would continue to struggle as long as they remain under foreign military occupation.... Until these rights are restored to my people, there shall be no peace in their hearts and minds. Tibetans have endless faith in themselves as well as in the righteousness of their struggle. We won't stop till the goal is achieved."

-By H.H. the 14th Dalai Lama

NEWS/PRESS RELEASE

Since the 2008 uprising in Tibet, the situation in Tibet has been deteriorating. Particularly, as of March this year, it has become ever more tense and urgent with the increasing cases of self-immolation by young Tibetans who find China's occupation and repression of Tibet intolerable.

Tibetans in Tibet are driven to these drastic acts to resist political repression, cultural assimilation, economic marginalization and environmental destruction.

From the eight young Tibetans who self-immolated this year, the following succumbed to their injuries: On March 16, 2011, Lobsang Phuntsok (age 21), a monk of Kirti Monastery in north-eastern Tibet. The second reported case, on August 15, 2011 was that of Tsewang Norbu, (age 29), a monk at Nyitso monastery in eastern Tibet. The third and the fourth cases were Khaying (age 18), and Choephel (age 19), both former monks of Kirti Monastery. They self-immolated on October 7, 2011 and died on October 8 and 11 respectively.

On October 15, 2011 another monk from Kirti Monastery namely Norbu Damdul age 19 has self immolated. The Tibetans in Australia is deeply concerned about their whereabouts and well-being.

The conditions of the three others, namely Lobsang Kelsang (age 18), Lobsang Kunchok (age 19) and Kelsang Wangchuk (age 17) are still unknown.

The Tibetan in exile all over the world has jointly planned activities particularly in India and the world-at-large to highlight the deepening crisis in Tibet.

Lastly to our brothers and sisters in Tibet, we stand with you in fulfilling our common aspirations, and we share the pain of your sacrifice.

The Tibetan Community Association is also offering prayers session at Dee Why, NSW. Australia.

We express our solidarity with all those who lost their lives and with all other Tibetans who are incarcerated for their courage to speak up for the rights of the Tibetan people.

We appeal to the Australian public to raise the issues with their local MPs and urge them to press the Government to intervene and raise the issues with People’s Republic of China. We also urge the international community and the media to send fact-finding delegations to ascertain the situation on the ground inside Tibet.