In Luchu region, a family man kills himself by fire to protest against Chinese occupation. Some 89 suicides have been recorded in the past few months. In Qinghai, medical students protest against 'patriotic education,' with 20 injured, four seriously.

Lhasa (AsiaNews) - A 31-year-old married father of two set himself on fire this morning in eastern Tibet to protest against Chinese occupation and to demand the return of the Dalai Lama. A source relayed the information to Tibetan website Phayul, thus raising the number of suicides to 89. Elsewhere, protesters took to the streets to demonstrate against the authorities' iron fist policies.

The latest tragedy took place near a government building in Luchu region. Tsering Tashi left a wife, Choekyong Tso, and two children Dorjee Kyi, 7, and Kalsang Dolma, 3. His is the third self-immolation in ten days, the 27^th in the month of November alone.

According to various analysts, Beijing's attitude is driving people to desperation. Rather than listen to their demands, the Communist regime has ordered a new onslaught against any form of local autonomy.

Tibetan exasperation is evinced by the growing protests against Chinese policies. On Tuesday, thousands of medical students in Qinghai province protested against a political questionnaire and 'patriotic education' classes imposed on Tibetan students.

Police moved in to stop the demonstration, forcing students out of the school using tear gas and beating them. About 20 were injured during the crackdown, four seriously.

In the Autonomous Tibetan Prefecture of Tsolho, the protest broke out when a medical school imposed study session on the 'Dalai Lama splittist clique'.

Questionnaires were handed out to students with politically-charged questions, like "What is the nature of self-immolation?" and "What are the consequences of illegal demonstrations and gatherings?"

Beijing accuses the leader of Tibetan Buddhism of provoking protests and self-immolations in order "cause panic" in the area.

However, events in Qinghai are symptomatic of the growing popular exasperation with the Communist regime.

In 2008, a huge mass demonstration led by Buddhist monks saw some of the worse clashes in Tibet since 1989 when then Communist Party secretary, now president Hu Jintao, gave the order to crack down.

• tibet
• china
• self-immolations
• crackdown
• protests
• dalai
• lama.