10/12/2012 10:46
China detains monk over Tibetan immolations. video
Chinese police have detained an ethnic Tibetan monk and his nephew, accusing them of "goading" eight people into setting themselves on fire.
Lorang Konchok, a 40-year-old monk at Kirti monastery in southwestern Sichuan, had incited self immolations "on the instructions of the Dalai Lama and his followers," state news agency Xinhua reported on Sunday.
Xinhua said a police investigation and a confession from the monk showed he had recruited eight people since 2009. Three of the protesters died, the report added.
Campaigners say that more than 90 ethnic Tibetans - men and women - have set themselves on fire since 2009 in a series of dramatic protests against Beijing's treatment of Tibetans.
Because of Chinese restrictions on reporting in Tibetan regions, these acts have been difficult to confirm.
The self-immolations have increased in frequency during recent months, with 28 setting themselves alight in November alone.