Tibetan monk sets himself on fire in Qinghai, bringing the number of self-immolations to 150
Jamyang Losal, 22, torched himself near the People’s Hospital in Kangtsa County. Police refused to hand over the body to his family.
Kangtsa (AsiaNews/RFA) – A young Tibetan monk set himself on fire and died on Friday in north-western China’s Qinghai province in an apparent challenge to Chinese rule in Tibetan areas.
Since protests broke out in 2009, about 150 Tibetans have died in self-immolations.
Jamyang Losal, 22, set himself ablaze around 5 am yesterday near the People’s Hospital in Kangtsa County (Gangcha in Chinese) in Qinghai’s Tsojang (Haibei) Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, a local source said.
“Losal’s body was taken away by the police, and when his family members went to the police station to claim his remains, the police refused to comply with their request,” the source said.
Losal belonged to the Gyerteng monastery in Kangtsa’s Nangra town. About 20 monks currently study at the hermitage, which is located about 30 kilometres south of the Kangtsa county seat.
The dead monk was a native of Dong Gya village in Kangtsa’s Nangra township.
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