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Buddhist Monk Self-Immolates in Tibet Protest


Tibetan sources say another person has set himself on fire in western China, to protest Beijing's policies in ethnic Tibetan areas.

Sources in the Tibetan exile community tell VOA's Tibetan Service that 20-year-old monk Tsering Gyal set himself on fire Monday evening in Qinhai province.

Chinese officials quickly arrived at the scene with fire extinguishers to put the fire out and take Tsering Gyal to a hospital. It is not clear what his condition is.

Tsangyang Gyatso, speaking from Dharmasala, India says he has been told by local sources that monks from Tsering Gyal's monastery gathered to demand information on the victim's condition.





"Local people, including monks from the Achong Monastery, gathered in the capital of Pema County to protest and demanded they hand over Tsering Gyal. Under pressure, local authorities accepted two relatives of the self-immolator to accompany him to Xining for further treatment."



China's official state-run media has not commented on the latest self-immolation.

More than 120 Tibetans have self-immolated since 2009 to protest what they say is Chinese repression of their culture. China denies the charges and says the suicide protests are acts of terrorism.

(This report was produced in collaboration with the VOA Tibetan service.)
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