Reports say Tibetan artist sets himself on fire in latest self-immolation protest

http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/asia_pacific/tibetan-government-in-exile-says-man-has-set-himself-on-fire-in-latest-self-immolation-protest/2012/11/04/717a4a5e-2652-11e2-92f8-7f9c4daf276a_story.html

BEIJING — A Tibetan artist has died after setting himself on fire in the latest self-immolation protesting Chinese rule, and residents are afraid to leave their homes because large numbers of security forces are in the area, the Tibetan government-in-exile and an activist group said Sunday.

The man set fire to himself Sunday morning in Tongren, a monastery town in western China’s Qinghai province, said the exile government based in Dharamsala, India, and London-based Free Tibet.

A photo on the exile government’s website showed a burned body wrapped in traditional orange scarves and surrounded by monks.

Free Tibet identified the dead person as Dorje Lungdup, 25, a father of two children and an artist of traditional Thangka religious paintings. It said thousands of people reportedly gathered to say prayers for him, and that people decided to cremate his body soon after to prevent authorities from interfering.