Following six self-immolations in two days, thousands of Tibetan students, including school children as young as 7, protested in restive Qinghai Province on Friday, calling on the ruling Chinese Communist Party to grant them equality and the return of the Dalai Lama.
A Tibetan man set himself on fire on Wednesday, meaning that eight Tibetans have set themselves on fire in the past month to protest against repression at the hands of Chinese Communist authorities.
After more than 50 self-immolations in Tibet against harsh Chinese rule, exiled Tibetan leaders said Friday that the practice needs to stop and non-violent forms of protest should be adopted instead.
China’s crackdown on Tibetans escalated this week in Sichuan Province after three more self-immolations, with reports of beatings and senior Tibetan monks being summoned by Chinese Communist Party (CCP) authorities for questioning.