Sources inside China say a Tibetan man attempted to kill himself by self-immolation in mid-September.
The 42-year-old man, identified as Kunchok, lit himself on fire September 16 outside a police station in Qinghai province. Tibetans who were nearby managed to put the flames out and rush him to a nearby hospital.
According to a Radio Free Asia source from the area, the man is still alive and in tremendous pain. Photos seen by VOA show a man with massive burns across his face and neck.
His family members are worried that Chinese local authorities will arrest him if he survives, although the sources say his chances of survival are slim.
This incident occurred a day before a 22-year-old student named Lhamo Tashi set himself on fire outside a security office in Tsoe city in Gansu province.
Tashi's family was informed of his self-immolation by security police, who told them that he had died.
A total of 133 Tibetans inside of China have committed self-immolation since 2009. Most left messages or told others that they were doing so to protest Beijing's rule over Tibet, and to call for the return of the Dalai Lama.
This report was produced in collaboration with the VOA Tibetan service.
