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China hit by more Tibetan self-immolations, say reports
A Tibetan died and two others were seriously hurt when they set themselves on fire in a remote Chinese village in the latest protests against Beijing’s rule, an exile group and US-based broadcaster said.
This brings to at least 19 the number of Tibetans to have set themselves on fire in the past year in protest against what they see as repressive policies in Tibetan-inhabited areas, which were hit by deadly unrest last month.
The London-based group Free Tibet and US-backed Radio Free Asia (RFA) said the three set themselves alight Friday in remote Phuhu village in the southwestern province of Sichuan, which has big populations of ethnic Tibetans.
AFP was unable to independently confirm the information, as phone lines to the area of western Sichuan were the incident reportedly happened appear to have been disabled, with calls being met with a rapid beeping tone.
RFA on Saturday quoted an unnamed source as saying the protesters “had called for freedom for Tibet and the return of the Dalai Lama,” the predominantly Buddhist region’s exiled spiritual leader.
Both RFA and Free Tibet named the two Tibetans who were seriously injured, adding they were aged around 60 and 30, but the identity of the Tibetan who died was unclear.
Phuhu is part of Seda county and around 145 kilometres away from Seda town — where rights groups say police fired on Tibetan protesters on January 24, killing at least one person.
A Tibetan died and two others were seriously hurt when they set themselves on fire in a remote Chinese village in the latest protests against Beijing’s rule, an exile group and US-based broadcaster said.
This brings to at least 19 the number of Tibetans to have set themselves on fire in the past year in protest against what they see as repressive policies in Tibetan-inhabited areas, which were hit by deadly unrest last month.
The London-based group Free Tibet and US-backed Radio Free Asia (RFA) said the three set themselves alight Friday in remote Phuhu village in the southwestern province of Sichuan, which has big populations of ethnic Tibetans.
AFP was unable to independently confirm the information, as phone lines to the area of western Sichuan were the incident reportedly happened appear to have been disabled, with calls being met with a rapid beeping tone.
RFA on Saturday quoted an unnamed source as saying the protesters “had called for freedom for Tibet and the return of the Dalai Lama,” the predominantly Buddhist region’s exiled spiritual leader.
Both RFA and Free Tibet named the two Tibetans who were seriously injured, adding they were aged around 60 and 30, but the identity of the Tibetan who died was unclear.
Phuhu is part of Seda county and around 145 kilometres away from Seda town — where rights groups say police fired on Tibetan protesters on January 24, killing at least one person.
