Monk sets self on fire in Sichuan

A man wearing monk’s robes set himself on fire in Aba, Sichuan province, AFP reported, citing reports by state media and Tibetan activist groups. Local Party chief Shi Jun said the man walked out of Aba’s Kirti Tibetan Buddhist monastery on Friday and set himself alight. Shi said police put out the fire and that the man was taken to hospital to be treated for burns. However, Tibetan activist groups said the man had been shot by police after lighting himself on fire. Aba was a focal point of unrest last March when anti-Chinese protests and riots occurred around the 49th anniversary of a failed 1959 Tibetan uprising.