The 18-year –old monk belongs to Aba’s Kirti Monastery, which is the scene of numerous protests against the Chinese government over the years, according to the Free Tibet group. He died after self-immolating behind a military camp. Locals reportedly tried to take his body away but security personnel removed it.

Recent months have seen a spate of self-immolations highlighting both frustration and anger against Beijing’s policies towards Tibet. The locals increasingly believe that their religion and culture are being suppressed and are clamouring for the return of the Dalai Lama, who had fled to India six decades ago.

Nearly 30 Tibetans have set themselves on fire over the past yea. Many of them are teenagers. Early this month (March) an 18-year-old Tibetan man set himself on fire and walked to a government office while a mother similarly protested outside a police station in Aba town.

Tibetans, including a prominent writer in Beijing, have pleaded for an end to the self-immolations, saying they are not helping the cause of Tibetan rights.

Free Tibet’s director Stephanie Brigden sees a pattern and a symbolism in these self-immolations.

 “We are now witnessing a pattern of Tibetans setting themselves on fire in front of buildings which symbolize China’s current crackdown in Tibet," he said in a statement from London where his group is headquartered. "Saturday’s self-immolation is the latest in an ever-increasing list of courageous and profound acts which the world cannot continue to ignore."

The exiled Tibetan Buddhist spiritual leader the Dalai Lama is however distressed. He said he does not encourage the protests, but has attributed the protests to “China’s cultural genocide” in Tibet.

On its part, China has derided the Dalai Lama as a jackal in Buddhist robes. But by blaming him for the current situation, the Chinese Communist Party is doing itself a disservice because it is refusing to see the limits of official bans like not allowing monks even to keep a photo of the Dalai Lama.