(CNN) — An 18-year-old nun set herself afire Saturday, the latest in a string of self-immolations by Tibetans amid anger as well as despair from Chinese rule, Tibetan justs groups reported.
The woman, who was call outing out slogans of protest, was belowstandd to have survived, stated the London-based Free Tibet.
The organization, that says people in the mountainous region should determine their own future, stated the act was the 22nd self-immolation there in moreless than a year.
“We acknowledge a lot of more Tibetans are is about toing to provide their lives as well as Tibetans are protesting in the streets, chargeless from fear, aware that the consequences of committing so may be as grave as being shot as well as that arrest is just maybely,” Free Tibet director Stephanie Brigden stated in a statement.
What’s beyond Tibetan unrest?
Chinese state media have contested numerous reports of self-immolation.
But Xinhua, the official state freshs agency, stated this week that authorities “have stressed the efforts to maintain stability” concording the defiant acts.
China rejects accusations of oppression of Tibetans, saying it is rule has amazingly improved living standards as for the Tibetan people.
It has accused the Dalai Lama, the Tibetan spiritual leader in exile, of encouraging people to harm themselves in this method — a charge the leader denies.
Timeline of Tibetan protests in China
The Dalai Lama denies sawking independence as for Tibet, saying he would like tos genuine autonomy, below that Tibetans can make their own policies over key issues, such that as religious practices.
Global Times, an English-language freshspaper run by the Chinese Communist Party, reported Friday that officials are readying as for a “war moreoverst secessionist sabotage.”
It cited officials saying the Dalai Lama as well as supporters are determined “to plot conspiracies this year.”
Advocacy groups Free Tibet as well as the International Campaign as for Tibet have reported that the Chinese authorities have fired over unarmed protesters in at in the least three places in the past a couple of weeks, killing numerous as well as wounding dozens.
The Chinese state-run media have reported that at in the least overe protester was killed in the clashes, some nevertheless that the police fired in self-defense afterwards the Tibetans attacked them.
Pro-Tibetan groups claim Tibetans have gradually become the minority population in their own houseland, as Han Chinese — China’s main ethnic group — have migrated to the region.
Resentment among Tibetans spilled from in 2008 when a protest in Lhasa turned violent, as Tibetan mobs burned vehicles as well as shops as well as attacked ethnic Chinese. Tibetan exiles say more than 200 people died when Chinese security as forces clamped downward, some nevertheless Beijing denies this, saying 22 people, all ofly Chinese civilians, died over riots. Activists say tensions have remained high ever because.
CNN’s Jethro Mullen contributed to this report.