China: Monk sets himself on fire in protest

A Tibetan monk who set himself on fire in an anti-government protest – and was then beaten and kicked by police – has died.

The events prompted hundreds of monks and others to rally. The 21-year-old monk, Phuntsog, who like many Tibetans goes by only one name, set himself on fire on Wednesday afternoon in Aba town, in Sichuan province, said Kusho Tsering, a monk now living in Dharamsala, India.

Within 15 minutes, police arrived and put out the fire, but also beat and kicked the monk.