Dharamshala: - Sources coming out of Tibet say a Tibetan man died on Tuesday after setting himself on fire in an apparent political protest against the Chinese repression and hard-line policies in Tibet, pushing the estimated toll to 133.
'The man, identified as Sangye Khar, a 33-year-old self-immolated in an apparent protest against the Chinese government's continuing repressive policies in Tibet,' sources said.
Sangye set himself ablaze around 10:00 a.m. (local time) December 16, 2014 in front of a police station in Sangchu County, Amdho Region of North-eastern Tibet (Chinese: Xiahe county in Gannan, Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture).
Details of the incident have yet to emerge, but, according to the sources, Chinese security forces reportedly tried to extinguish the flames but were unsuccessful.
Information on the latest incident first spread throughout social media such as Facebook and wechat. According to the sources, Sangye died on the spot and his body was taken to Labrang monastery where it was traditionally cremated.
This incident brought the total verified number of self-immolations in Tibet to 133 since February, 2009 and and of them 114 were reportedly passed-away due to their severe injuries.
The Tibetan self-immolators have called for the return of His Holiness the Dalai Lama and freedom for the Tibetan people. Most parts of Tibet have suffered severe crackdowns and been under heightened restrictions and controls.
The Chinese government has blamed outside forces for the self-immolations, particularly His Holiness the Dalai Lama and the Central Tibetan Administration- regarded by China as a subversive.
But, Tibetans have denied such accusations, saying that the main cause of self-immolation is "Beijing's hard-line policies, including political repression, economic marginalization, environmental destruction, cultural assimilation and denial of religious freedom."
Chinese government says Tibet has always been part of its territory, but Tibetans say Tibet was virtually independent for centuries until Chinese troops invaded in the 1950s.