Reports: 2 Tibetan monks, 1 woman, self-immolate in protest against Chinese rule

BEIJING – Reports say three Tibetans have died after setting themselves on fire to protest Chinese rule in a western region where authorities have imposed a heavy security presence.

More than 100 Tibetans have self-immolated since 2011 to protest Chinese policies in the region and call for the return of their spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, from exile.

Exiled Tibetan monks Losang Yeshe and Kanyag Tsering and the Free Tibet group said Thursday two of the latest three protesters were monks at a monastery in Ruo'ergai county of Aba prefecture.

U.S. broadcaster Radio Free Asia reported that a Tibetan woman in Rangtang county in the same prefecture also died after self-immolating Wednesday.

Police and propaganda officials in both counties were either unreachable by phone or said they were unaware of the self-immolations.