Self Immolation: Tibet’s Desperate Fight

Spooked by the wave of regime change around the world, the Chinese government is cracking down hard on the Tibetan people. Inspired by Time magazine’s 2011 recognition of the power of “The Protestor,” Tibetans — mostly monks — have been fighting back in the most desperate way: by setting themselves on fire. According to an Associated Press report, “Monasteries, which for Tibetans are akin to universities, have become occupied ground, with police and officials moving in alongside monks.”

Photographer Phil Borges published a new book called Tibet: Culture on the Edge, which shows how the Tibetan culture and way of life has been eradicated systematically. Borges, who has worked in and out of Tibet for decades and has witnessed the deeply disturbing change in the country, will discuss Tibet and where it’s heading at Mountainfilm in Telluride’s festival this May.