DHARAMSHALA: Sonam Tobgyal, a 26-year-old Tibetan monk from Kyegudo, set himself on fire at around 6 pm on 9 July at Gesar Square, Kyegudo in Yulshul Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture (Incorporated into China’s Qinghai Province) in protest against the repressive policies of the Chinese government in Tibet.
Local Tibetans who witnessed the incident took him to a nearby hospital. His current whereabouts and physical status remain unknown at this time.
Chinese authorities arrived at the scene a few minutes after the self-immolation and sealed off the place. Communication networks in the area were also crippled to restrict the flow of information.
With the latest self-immolation, at least 141 Tibetans have set themselves on fire in protest against the Chinese government inside Tibet since 2009. See Fact-sheet.