Two young Tibetan monks tried to set themselves on fire Monday in western China to demand the “freedom of religion”. They were both under 18, suffered from minor burns and are in stable condition, according to the official Xinhua news agency.
According to Tibetan exile activist in India, the two young men belong to the Kirti Gompa (格尔登寺), one of the main centers of protest against Chinese rule and the focus of a severe law enforcement involvement in May.
This is the third immolation of Buddhist monk this year in this region. (Previous report) A Tibetan monk from the same monastery, was slain six months ago and his death provoked a strong response of the security forces, with the arrest of about 300 other monks. Aba Prefecture, inhabited mainly by Tibetans, is part of Sichuan province. The monks of Kirti Gompa had participated in the March 2008 riots in Tibet and Tibetan areas of China.