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Burning the Body: The Bodily Politics of Tibetan Self-Immolation

Kaku, Archana
Abstract
This article analyzes self-immolation as a practice that activates the potential for resistance which is always present within the body. Examining the 2009–2012 self-immolations in Tibet, I argue that the political work of self-immolation takes place through spectacular pain, material degradation, and the interaction between the body of the self-immolator, public space, and multiple audiences. This work does not end with death: by demanding contestation and/or commemoration, these burnt corpses have political lives which exceed those of the self-immolators. Ultimately, I argue that self-immolation is not only a destructive act but can be a productive and future-oriented mode of politics.
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2020-07-01
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Johns Hopkins University Press
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Government
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Government
DOI
https://dx.doi.org/10.1353/tae.2020.0036
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https://scholarworks.wm.edu/handle/internal/1377
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