An 18-year-old nun set herself alight in China’s restive southwest, rights groups said yesterday, the latest in a spate of self-immolations among ethnic Tibetans protesting against Beijing’s rule.
The woman — a member of a Buddhist nunnery in Aba Prefecture in Sichuan Province, which borders Tibet — set herself on fire on Saturday, Free Tibet and the International Campaign for Tibet said.
London-based Free Tibet said the latest incident brought the number of Tibetans who have self-immolated over the past year to 22, though Chinese state media have disputed some of the previous claims of incidents.
The nun from the Mamae Nunnery shouted slogans of protest against the Chinese government before setting herself alight, the rights groups said in separate statements.
She is believed to have survived, they said. Her name was given as Tenzin Choedron, or Choezin.
Soldiers and police quickly took her away and then later sealed off the nunnery, the rights groups said. Free Tibet said this was the second nun from Mamae to set herself on fire, following another who died in October last year.
A police officer in Aba declined to comment.
China has stepped up security in Tibet and areas inhabited by ethnic Tibetans following a series of self-immolations and protests against Chinese rule, some of which have turned violent.
Security has also been tightened as next month marks the anniversary of anti-Chinese protests in 2008 that started in the Tibetan capital Lhasa, before spreading to other areas.
At least two people were killed last month in clashes between police and locals in Sichuan, which has large populations of ethnic Tibetans, many of whom complain of oppression under Chinese rule.
Security forces on Thursday shot dead two Tibetan brothers who were on the run after protesting against Chinese rule, according to US-based broadcaster Radio Free Asia.
Beijing has accused overseas organizations of seeking independence for Tibet and blamed the Dalai Lama — Tibet’s exiled spiritual leader — for the unrest.
Following the violent incidents, Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao (溫家寶) on Friday pledged religious freedom and cultural protection in Tibet.
“We will place more importance on improving the lives of our Tibetan compatriots ... and in preserving the freedom of religious belief of Tibetans,” he said.
Free Tibet called on the international community to do more about China’s actions.
“A handful of carefully crafted statements is no longer enough — now is the time for concerted international action,” the group said in the statement.
The US said on Friday it would raise concerns about human rights among other issues during a closely watched visit in the coming week by Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping (習近平), who is likely to be the country’s next leader.
“It is an area of grave concern for us to witness the increase of tensions in Tibet and Xinjiang,” said Danny Russel, US President Barack Obama’s top adviser on Asia.
Seven people sustained mostly minor injuries in an airplane fire in South Korea, authorities said yesterday, with local media suggesting the blaze might have been caused by a portable battery stored in the overhead bin. The Air Busan plane, an Airbus A321, was set to fly to Hong Kong from Gimhae International Airport in southeastern Busan, but caught fire in the rear section on Tuesday night, the South Korean Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport said. A total of 169 passengers and seven flight attendants and staff were evacuated down inflatable slides, it said. Authorities initially reported three injuries, but revised the number
‘BALD-FACED LIE’: The woman is accused of administering non-prescribed drugs to the one-year-old and filmed the toddler’s distress to solicit donations online A social media influencer accused of filming the torture of her baby to gain money allegedly manufactured symptoms causing the toddler to have brain surgery, a magistrate has heard. The 34-year-old Queensland woman is charged with torturing an infant and posting videos of the little girl online to build a social media following and solicit donations. A decision on her bail application in a Brisbane court was yesterday postponed after the magistrate opted to take more time before making a decision in an effort “not to be overwhelmed” by the nature of allegations “so offensive to right-thinking people.” The Sunshine Coast woman —
BORDER SERVICES: With the US-funded International Rescue Committee telling clinics to shut by tomorrow, Burmese refugees face sudden discharge from Thai hospitals Healthcare centers serving tens of thousands of refugees on the Thai-Myanmar border have been ordered shut after US President Donald Trump froze most foreign aid last week, forcing Thai officials to transport the sickest patients to other facilities. The International Rescue Committee (IRC), which funds the clinics with US support, told the facilities to shut by tomorrow, a local official and two camp committee members said. The IRC did not respond to a request for comment. Trump last week paused development assistance from the US Agency for International Development for 90 days to assess compatibility with his “America First” policy. The freeze has thrown
TESTING BAN: Satellite photos show a facility in the Chinese city of Mianyang that could aid nuclear weapons design and power generation, a US researcher said China appears to be building a large laser-ignited fusion research center in the southwestern city of Mianyang, experts at two analytical organizations said, a development that could aid nuclear weapons design and work exploring power generation. Satellite photos show four outlying “arms” that would house laser bays, and a central experiment bay that would hold a target chamber containing hydrogen isotopes the powerful lasers would fuse together, producing energy, said Decker Eveleth, a researcher at US-based independent research organization CNA Corp. It is a similar layout to the US$3.5 billion US National Ignition Facility (NIF) in northern California, which in 2022 generated
RSS