China: Tibetan Monk Sets Himself on Fire

A Tibetan monk in Sichuan Province burned himself to death to protest Chinese rule over Tibetan areas, according to Tibet-advocacy groups based outside China. This month is the third anniversary of a Tibetan uprising against Chinese rule, in March 2008. The monk, Phuntsog, was the second monk at Kirti Monastery to protest through self-immolation; in 2009, another monk, Tapey, did the same, but survived and was taken to a hospital by the police. Phuntsog’s act set off protests by fellow monks, but police officers quashed the demonstrations and made arrests, according to the Tibet-advocacy groups International Campaign for Tibet and Free Tibet.