November 8th, 2012
02:20 AM ET

Tibetan monks set themselves on fire on eve of Chinese leaders' gathering

[Updated 2:38 a.m.] Two Tibetans died after setting themselves on fire yesterday, said the speaker for the Tibetan parliament in exile. One of them was a 15-year-old monk in Ngaba county, where three monks burned themselves. The other is a 23-year-old woman from a separate incident in the Qinghai Province, said Penpa Tsering from Dharamsala, India, citing sources in Tibet.

[Posted 2:20 a.m.] A teenage Tibetan monk died yesterday and 2 were injured after they set themselves on fire in an act of protest on the eve of  a key meeting of top Chinese officials, a Tibetan rights group said.

The boys, two of whom were 16 and the other 15,  cried for Tibetan freedom and the return of the Dalai Lama, according to the Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy. They were all from the same monastery in the county of Ngaba in the Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture of Sichuan Province, a majority Tibetan region of China.

CNN has reported on a number self-immolations in the past from Nbaga county by Tibetans protesting Chinese rule.

A separate Tibetan rights group, Free Tibet, said there was an additional self-immolation yesterday by a Tibetan but gave no details on the incident.

Chinese President Hu Jintao, set to begin handing over power to his successor, warned Thursday that a failure to deal with corruption could bring down China's ruling Communist Party and the state it controls.

Chinese leaders are meeting today in Beijing for the Communist Party's 18th National Congress in Beijing. The gathering will usher in a new set of leaders of the world's most populous nation. After a decade in power, Chinese President Hu Jintao is expected to hand over the party's top job to Vice President Xi Jinping.
Filed under: China • Tibet
soundoff (11 Responses)
  1. yang

    ok here we got.
    USA vs Suitcide Bomber from Bin larden
    China vs Flamed Monk from Dalai lama
    well, they should team together . both torrist

    November 8, 2012 at 5:33 am | Report abuse |
    • Cherub

      The common thread....India. India needs to be imploded

      November 8, 2012 at 9:30 am | Report abuse |
    • liu

      > well, they should team together . both torrist

      Learn to spell. Then, learn to distinguish between what a suicide bomber does with what the monks did.
      Then, un-brainwash yourself from your government.

      November 12, 2012 at 1:36 am | Report abuse |
    • Iggy

      Yes, USA's and China's governments – both terrorists.

      January 14, 2013 at 4:23 pm | Report abuse |
  2. Ahmed

    That is so sad. I understand the goal. But I fail to see the positive results of losing such young lives.

    November 8, 2012 at 6:44 am | Report abuse |
    • Zephon

      Like Muslims thinking of 100 virgins in heaven.

      These Dalai Lama followers think they will be reincarnated at a higher level than they would if they did not commit suicide in the name of their religion.

      November 8, 2012 at 11:53 am | Report abuse |
  3. Brian

    Regretfully it does seem like a waste. I'm sure China doesn't care. Sounds like a very bad way to go, plus death is forever. Forever is a mighty long time. I wish people would try to stay here and alive as long as they can. Everyone should be kinder and nicer.

    November 8, 2012 at 7:44 am | Report abuse |
    • Zephon

      It is the Dalai Lama's clan in India that does not care.

      They encourage these suicidal acts.

      November 8, 2012 at 11:54 am | Report abuse |
  4. David

    China has a consistent condition for withdrawing from Tibet, if any one of Dalai Lama or PM for exile Lobsang Sangay (including his relatives) set himself one fire.
    Cheat innocent teenagers into self-immolation. why high-rank monks not do the same?

    November 8, 2012 at 10:44 am | Report abuse |
  5. AmericanOne

    Suitcide bomber = a waste of an Armani.

    November 8, 2012 at 2:09 pm | Report abuse |
  6. Kosher

    His "holiness" Dalai Lama has the divine power and moral responsibility to stop those naive young lad from carry out self-immolation stunts. Yet, being a wolf in sheep's clothing, Dalai Lama abd his followers had insisted walking on the wrong path of instigated suicides. Kind souls on earth are now beginning to realise that Dalai Lama had repeatedly soak his cold hands in blood stained wash basin while chanting holy scripts. Dalai is indeed the true real devil.

    November 9, 2012 at 3:41 am | Report abuse |
« Back to main