Another Tibetan Monk Burns Himself to Death

A Tibetan Buddhist monk set himself on fire today in southwest China while calling out the Dalai Lama's name, the latest in a string of self-immolation protests in that country as well as North Africa. Tsewang Norbu, 29, "drank petrol, sprayed petrol on himself, and then set himself on fire," says the Free Tibet organization in a statement. "He was heard calling out: 'We Tibetan people want freedom,' 'Long live the Dalai Lama,' and 'Let the Dalai Lama Return to Tibet.' He is believed to have died at the scene."

China's official news agency reported the incident, but said it was not clear why the monk burned himself, reports Reuters. The monk was from a monastery in Tawu, a heavily ethnic Tibetan part of western Sichuan. Another monk self-immolated in March in Sichuan, which neighbors the Tibet region. Many advocates of Tibetan self-rule say Tawu should be part of a larger Tibetan homeland, and this self-immolation could spark new tensions and protests in the region. (More self-immolation stories.)