Dharamshala: Today marks the commemoration of Tenzin Choedon’s ultimate sacrifice. On this day in 2012, the 18-year-old Tibetan nun self-immolated in protest against the repression of Tibetan people’s fundamental freedoms and human rights inside Tibet under Chinese rule—an occupation that has lasted over six decades. She died shortly after from her injuries.

Her act of defiance reminds us of the ongoing struggle and the ironclad resilience of the Tibetans living inside Tibet in expression and preservation of their Tibetan identity in the form of religion, language, culture and environment, despite China’s Ironfist rules and surveillance. We honor her memory and the countless others who have sacrificed everything for freedom.