MOSCOW, December 26 (Sputnik), Ekaterina Blinova – Tibetan demonstrators are holding fresh protests against China's policies, and with the authorities supposedly opening fire at protesters, injuring one, in the western province of Sichuan, Free Tibet, a British-based human rights group claims giving no evidence or details.
Although the number of "fiery protests" has diminished significantly in the last two years, the new string of self-immolations began after a 37-year-old monk set himself on fire on Tuesday, December 23, in Sichuan's Dawu county, near a police station, according to Free Tibet.
Western-backed human rights groups are beating the drums, claiming that China has suppressed "religious freedom and culture in Tibet," that has been ruled by Beijing since 1950.
China dismisses the allegations, pointing to the fact that it evidently bolstered the economic growth of the impoverished autonomy and improved its backward political feudal-style system.
It is worth mentioning that in 1959, Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama fled the region to India after an unsuccessful attempt to overthrow Chinese rule in the region.
The Dalai Lama qualified the self-immolations as "sad but understandable," Reuters notes. However, the Tibetan spiritual leader has expressed his doubts regarding effectiveness of such protests. In an interview with a French media-source last week the Dalai Lama underscored that China's officials were preventing President Xi Jinping from giving Tibet a "genuine autonomy."
Beijing has repeatedly blasted the Dalai Lama for his outspoken secessionist stance.
Free Tibet claims Chinese police opened fire at the Tibetan protesters in Sichuan and one Tibet monk has been shot in arm during the violent clashes. However, the group has not provided details or evidence when the violence took place. Chinese police have not yet confirmed the incident.
