Tibetan becomes 101st to set himself on fire

A TIBETAN protester set himself ablaze and chanted anti-China slogans as he ran down a street in Nepal’s capital yesterday, in the latest in a string of self-­immolation protests against China’s rule over Tibet.

It was the 101st time since 2009 that a Tibetan monk, nun or layperson has set themselves on fire, according to officials from the Tibetan exile government, which is based in India.

The protesters are calling for Beijing to allow greater religious freedom and the return from exile in India of their spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama.

Witnesses in Nepal said a man in monk’s robes entered a café in Kathmandu’s Boudhanath district, home to many Tibetan Buddhist temples and monasteries, and asked to use the lavatory.

After spending some time there, he went into the street and set himself on fire. He ran a few steps, chanting slogans against China, before collapsing. He was rushed to hospital, where he was last night in a critical condition.