Tibetan monk set himself ablaze in west China demanding Tibet's independence

This was the 148th such self-immolation protest by Tibetans demanding a free country.
By Ananya Roy
A Tibetan monk has set himself on fire in Kardze, officially Garzê Tibetan Autonomous Prefecturein, in west China on Saturday, 15 April, to press for Tibetan independence.

An unidentified Tibetan monk reportedly set himself on fire on a busy street in west China on Saturday (15 April), demanding Tibet's freedom and opposing Chinese rule over the region.
A video of the incident has been circulating on social media in which police is seen spraying a fire extinguisher on a burnt body lying on the ground and preventing crowds from gathering at the place.
Tibetan sources told Radio Free Asia that the incident took place at about 7.00am local time (12:00am BST) at the main square in Kardze, officially Garzê Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture. 

The sources added that Chinese police immediately took the self-immolator away and his whereabouts remain unknown. 

It was also not known if the man survived.
The radio service said that it could not contact sources in Kardze to get more details on the incident and exiled Tibetans who maintain contacts in the region were also unsuccessful. 

One source said that the reason could be blockage of internet services following the incident.
The town has reportedly seen similar protests in the past, mainly focused on Tibet's freedom and the return of exiled religious leader, the Dalai Lama. 

The latest was on 18 March when a 24-year-old Tibetan farmer identified as Pema Gyaltsen also set himself on fire in Kardze. 

The fate of the man is still unknown.
Following the Saturday incident, the number of such protests since 2009 has reached 148, Radio Free Asia reported. 

Many of these have reportedly resulted in fatalities.
The Associated Press reported that local officials reached by phone said they were unaware of the incident.

Free Tibet

24-Year-old Tibetan Self-Immolates in Anti-China Protest
VOA News

Map of self-immolations in Tibet, or near Tibet
Monitors say a 24-year-old Tibetan man set himself on fire Saturday outside a monastery in China's southwestern Sichuan province, a region heavily populated by ethnic Tibetans who protest China's policies in their nearby homeland.
A statement Sunday from the organization "Free Tibet" said the man self-immolated Saturday afternoon, drawing a large detachment of police and security personnel who took him into custody.
Witnesses are quoted as saying Pema Gyaltsen was thought to be alive when arrested. 

But the statement said activists have been unable to confirm his current condition or whether he survived the ordeal.
The statement also said police remained in the area to prevent the spread of information, and that Internet service in the region was cut.
Analysts say Saturday's self-immolation is the first in the disputed region since December, when another male set himself on fire and died.
Free Tibet says more than 140 Tibetan protesters have set themselves on fire since 2009, when anti-China protesters -- most of them monks and nuns -- began self-immolating to protest what locals describe as Chinese interference in Tibetan customs and religious practices.
The majority of those protesters have died.
Protesters also have sought to bring attention to demands for the return of their exiled Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama.
Chinese authorities last decade criminalized self-immolation protests, and local courts have imprisoned scores of people for their alleged roles in supporting the protests.