JOIN US The Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) Thursday said a mother of three immolated herself in Tibet to protest Beijing's "repressive policies" and demand the return of the Dalai Lama to his homeland.
A total of 38 people have reportedly killed themselves since 2009. Rikyo, a 36-year-old mother of three, died on the spot after setting herself on fire in front of the Jonang Zamthang monastery in Barma town in Tibet's Ngaba region on May 30, said the CTA.
It said the locals took the body inside the monastery, where thousands of monks offered prayers. Citing media reports, a CTA spokesperson told IANS that more than 600 Tibetans have been detained in Lhasa after the region saw two self-immolations last Sunday.
Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama has blamed Beijing for igniting self-immolation protests in Tibet, saying the issue is "very political".