Reports: Tibetan self-immolates in western China
Monk sets himself ablaze in public square in Kardze in Sichuan province, according to monitoring group and media outfit
A Tibetan Buddhist monk set himself on fire in western China in an apparent protest against Beijing’s rule, a monitoring group and a US government-backed radio station said.
The monk set himself ablaze in a public square on Saturday morning in Kardze, also known as Ganzi, in western Sichuan province, according to Radio Free Asia and Free Tibet, an advocacy group based in Britain.
The unidentified monk was taken away after the fire was extinguished by security forces, reports said. It was unclear if he survived.
A man who answered the phone at the local police station on Monday said he was unaware of the case and “not clear” about the situation. The government for Garze Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, which includes the town of Kardze, referred questions to the police.
A YouTube video purported to be of the incident showed two men spraying fire extinguishers on what appeared to be a body at the edge of a busy street as a crowd gathered.
Free Tibet acquired the video from a witness who posted it on social media, according to John Jones, a spokesman for the group.