Almost everywhere globally, Arab demonstrations bear no fruit, and the dreams of those seeking change are shattered. But Tunisia is considered a success story by some as the nation has more civil liberties, free expression, and political liberties. Because of these achievements, a Tunisian group even won the 2015 Nobel Peace Prize. However, while the country has achieved a lot over the past few years, the nation still struggles with an ever-worsening economic crisis. Due to this, Tunisians have turned to self-immolation as a means to protest financial insecurity and suffering.
Cause of Self-immolation in Tunisia
Tunisia lacks socio-economic reforms, and due to the weak inefficient governance, the country is incapable of alleviating poverty or fully reviving investment. The COVID-19 pandemic outbreak has only made things worse in the country, as unemployment rates rose to 18%. It is evident to Tunisian citizens that their government can`t offer a means to achieve their aspirations. Even those who have a job and are well educated aren’t getting anything substantial to reduce their suffering. This has lead to many Tunisians drowning in a pool of overwhelming misery.
Some Tunisians turn to holding mass protests to let their government know they need better lives. However, others have noticed that the protests no longer work and have turned to the desperate act of self-immolation. In the past ten years, hundreds of Tunisians have turned to the act seeing it as a better means to protest financial insecurity and suffering. Many of these individuals who have carried out self-immolation over the years have been working-class men in their 20s and 30s. Few of these men survive and survivors contacted say they set themselves on fire as they need financial help. Most of the self-immolation in Tunisia have occurred near local administration or government buildings.
Mohammed Bouazizi
Self-immolation was first observed in Tunisia back on December 17, 2010. Most of those who set themselves ablaze do it following the example of one Mohammed Bouazizi. Bouazizi, a 26-year-old fruit seller in Sidi Bouzid, set himself on fire to protest police harassment. Because of his action in 2010, Tunisians unleashed mass demonstrations in Tunisia against repression and poverty. The demonstrations due to Bouazizi`s death even lead to the downfall of Tunisia`s 23-year dictator.
Bouazizi`s death brought the ousting of a dictator from power. But little change can be observed for his hometown of Sidi Bouzid. Even after the revolution, jobless young men’s hurdles still sit chain-smoking on plastic chairs in cafes in Tunisia. Several experts say that because Bouazizi`s family moved to Montreal in 2013, numerous other individuals set themselves on fire expecting their families to gain financially after their suicides.
Impact of Self-immolation’s
Since 2010 the number of self-immolation’s has tripled. Currently, no official statistics account for the actual number of deaths by self-immolations in Tunisia. But the Tunisian Social Observatory of Tunisian Forum for Economic and Social Rights recorded over 62 such suicides or attempts in 2020 so far.
Survivors of self-immolation face immense physical, psychological, and financial challenges. They spend a month in hospitals waiting for wounds to heal. Some scars they acquire from their self inflicted wounds may heal badly and hinder certain functions of their bodies. Some of these individuals can`t chew or even sit properly, with others facing difficulty expressing facial emotions. Other self-immolation survivors experience a lot of persistent pain if their scars go in too deep and touch their nerves.
Back in 2015, Tunisia`s government created a committee to stop self-immolation suicides. However, the political turmoil in Tunisia has led to little government action in helping survivors or the families of the deceased.
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