Monk died after shouting slogans for independence and Dalai Lama in Tibet's 21st self-immolation this year, campaign says
A campaign group says a Tibetan monk has died after setting himself on fire at a monastery in western China's Sichuan province.
The London-based International Campaign for Tibet said on Monday that 18-year-old Nangdrol self-immolated on Sunday after shouting slogans in favour of Tibetan independence and exiled Tibetan leader the Dalai Lama.
His death brings to at least 21 the number of Tibetans who have set themselves on fire over the past year to protest Chinese government policies over Tibetan society and the Buddhist religion. Chinese security has cut off access to Tibetan areas, making it virtually impossible to independently confirm such acts.
As many as 21 monks, nuns and ordinary Tibetans have set themselves on fire over the past year, and Free Tibet says at least 13 died from their injuries.
Such acts show no signs of abating, even as China ratchets up security and seals off Tibetan areas to outsiders, making it impossible to know what is actually happening inside.
China blames supporters of China's exiled Buddhist leader the Dalai Lama for encouraging the self-immolations and anti-government protests that have led to the deaths of an unknown number of Tibetans at the hands of police. Authorities have reportedly detained and forced into re-education classes hundreds of Tibetans who went to India to receive religious instruction from the Dalai Lama, who China accuses of campaigning to split Tibet from the rest of China. The Dalai Lama says he is seeking only increased autonomy for Tibet.