Starving for the nation: Tibetan hunger strikes and the making of political publics

Abstract This article examines Tibetan hunger strikes unto death as a key part of a larger repertoire of protest practices that invoke and mobilize a transnational Tibetan public, fostering national cohesion in exile. While these protests aim to pressure international institutions and foreign governments to condemn repression in Tibet, they also achieve another crucial goal: forging solidarities within the Tibetan exile community. Through archival research, interviews, and ethnographic insights, the article traces the historical emergence of these embodied protests, situating them within broader debates on theories of publics, exploring the affective dimension of sacrifice in mobilizing a transnational public, and highlighting the significance of refugee activism in challenging the global order of nation-states. Ultimately, this study argues that Tibetan hunger strikes do not merely seek external intervention, but actively produce a Tibetan public, reaffirming national identity and a commitment to their freedom struggle in the face of displacement and fragmentation.