China: Tibet: Tibetan mother self immolates in Sichuan, a girl in Gansu

Dharamsala - A Tibetan woman, mother of four children, has self immolated in front of the monastery of Kirti (Sichuan), while a Tibetan girl also set herself on fire but in a market Maqu in Gansu.

Rinchen, a widow of 32 , set herself on fire yesterday in front of the police station built in recent months to control the entrance of the monastery of Kirti. According to evidence presented by Free Tibet, the woman shouted "Tibet needs freedom; the Gyalwa Rinpochen [Dalai Lama] should return to Tibet ". Rinchen's body was taken and brought to the monastery.

Her husband had died a year ago and she leaves behind four children: a 13 year old, Gyamo, two whose names are not known and a fourth child only a few months old.

Rinchen was born in Nagtsangma, a nomadic village, after her marriage she moved to Rariwa, about 80 km from the place where she decided to end her life.

Since March last year the Chinese army has kept a tight control on the Kirti Monastery, site of the first self-immolations. Security forces also carry out house to house searches around the city of Ngaba (where the monastery is located) which is closed to independent observers. Even communications - including Internet and mobile phones - are blocked.

A Tibetan girl at junior high school in Maqu (Tibetan: Machu), set herself on fire in a vegetable market. The incident occurred on March 3. According to sources quoted by Radio Free Asia, the Chinese vendors, terrified, threw rocks at the girl's burning body. For the Chinese, in fact, the death of a person is unlucky to trade. The Tibetans present clashed with Han Chinese. The girl's body was taken by the police.

With the latter, 22 people have burned themselves to death in one year.