China tense as teen Tibet monk immolates self
Saibal Dasgupta, Times of India, Mar 18, 2011, 06.04am
Sichuan provinceRadio Free Asia-

BEIJING: Tension gripped politically-sensitive Aba county of southwest China's Sichuan province after a teenager Tibetan monk who set himself on fire died on Thursday. Radio Free Asia (RFA) reported quoting local Tibetans that the police put out the fire and then beat the monk to death.

The incident resulted in demonstrations by nearly 1,000 monks who shouted slogans and were dispersed by baton-wielding policemen. The police attack resulted in injuries to some of the demonstrators , it said. RFA also differed with the Chinese media on other counts, giving a different name for the monk describing him as Lobsang Phuntsog, aged 21.

Tibetan monastery sealed off following monk's death
Saturday, March 19, 2011 10:15 pm TWN
--chinapost.com--

International Campaign for Tibet (ICT) said the monks had rescued Phuntsog from the police, who started beating him after extinguishing the flames, and took him back to the monastery. The monks then took him to hospital, where he later died, ICT said.

Hundreds of monks and civilians then protested near the monastery, located in Aba county, the campaign group said, although residents contacted by AFP were unable to confirm the demonstrations were that large. Police detained an unknown number of monks, according to the ICT. Seven were later released, including three who had been detained prior to the protests, it said. One of the monks had a serious head injury.

According to ICT, this marks the second time a Kirti monk has set himself on fire since authorities imposed a broad crackdown across Tibet and neighboring regions of China with large Tibetan populations following the 2008 unrest. The death of Phuntsog sparked a demonstration in Dharamshala, the home of exiled Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama, where about 500 people gathered at the Indian hill town's main temple.

Speaking beside a photograph of the dead monk projected onto a screen, local civil society leaders gave speeches denouncing the death and Chinese government crackdowns, leading to cheers and chanting from the crowd. Organisers said they wanted to “remind the government of China that the seismic waves of Tunisia and the Middle Eastern countries have reached Tibet” according to a statement handed to AFP.