A Tibetan rights group said a monk in central China has become the third Tibetan in two days to take part in self-immolation protests against Chinese rule.
Tibet Immolations - updated February 26, 2013x
Tibet Immolations - updated February 26, 2013
The London-based group Free Tibet says a monk, identified as Sandhag, set himself alight late Monday in the main street of Ngaba (Aba in Chinese) in China's Sichuan province.
Free Tibet said security forces put out the flames and took the monk to the hospital. His current whereabouts and condition are unknown.
Monday, 27-year-old Tsezung Kyab died after setting himself on fire in front of the Gaden Shedrup Choekhorling Buddhist monastery in neighboring Gansu province.
On Sunday, a 20-year-old man, identified as Phakmo Thondup, set himself ablaze in Qinghai province. Sources told VOA's Tibetan service he died in a hospital.
At least 107 Tibetans have set themselves on fire since 2009 to protest what they say is Chinese repression of their culture and homeland. More than 90 of them have died.
China denies it is repressing Tibetans and says the suicide protests are acts of terrorism.
Beijing also contends that Tibet's exiled spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, has incited the self-immolations to promote Tibetan separatism. The Dalai Lama says he has done nothing to encourage the suicidal protests.