Reuters cites a report from London-based rights group Free Tibet, saying that police opened fire on a group of protesters in Sichuan:
A monk was shot in the arm after police used teargas and opened fire during a clash with Tibetans outside a police station in the western province of Sichuan, which borders Tibet, British-based Free Tibet said in a statement.
The group did not say when the violence happened and police in the area could not be reached for comment.
Human rights activists say China tramples on religious freedom and culture in Tibet, which it has ruled strictly since People’s Liberation Army troops “peacefully liberated” the region in 1950.
China rejects such criticism, saying its rule ended serfdom in Tibet and brought development to a backward, poverty-stricken region. [Source]
Since 2009, there have been more than 130 self-immolations in protest of Chinese policies in Tibetan regions of China. Earlier this month, rights groups reported two Tibetan deaths by self-immolations, and the New York Times reported on a third earlier this week, also citing a Free Tibet press release.
