Three Tibetans set themselves on fire as protest

Published on Monday 6 February 2012 01:04

Three Tibetans in south-western China have set themselves ablaze in protest against Chinese rule, Radio Free Asia reported, the latest in a series of self- immolations over the past year.

The three set themselves on fire on Friday in Seda county, known as Serthar in Tibetan, in Sichuan province, calling for freedom for Tibet and the return of exiled Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama.

One person died at the scene, while the other two – Tsaptsai Tsering, 60, and Kyarel, 30 – were seriously injured. The dead person has still to be identified.

Seda was among the three sites of violent clashes between security forces and demonstrators in Sichuan in late January that marked the bloodiest spate of Tibetan-linked violence in China since early 2008.

If the latest incident is confirmed, at least 13 of the 19 Tibetans who have self-immolated in the past 11 months are believed to have died.