Beijing, China - Two Tibetan monks in southwestern China set themselves on fire, the government and Tibetan freedom activists said, the latest in a spate of such self-immolations that the campaigners said represented an unprecedented escalation of protests over curbs on religious freedom.
China's state-run Xinhua news agency said the two monks were in stable condition after being "rescued" by police on Monday morning. The London-based Free Tibet group said their condition and whereabouts were unclear.
China's Foreign Ministry on Monday also rejected a weekend statement from the Dalai Lama in which the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader, who is now 76 years old, suggested a decision on his successor would be made when he was "about 90," and argued that Beijing should play no role in selecting his reincarnation.
The Chinese government, which says Tibet has been part of its territory for centuries and claims the right to approve all new lamas, has long tried to suppress Tibetans' loyalty to the Dalai Lama, who fled his mostly Buddhist homeland in 1959 after an abortive uprising against Chinese rule.
While Beijing has brought massive improvements in infrastructure and basic living standards to Tibet, it has made little progress in discouraging reverence for the leader of Tibetan Buddhism, or in preventing regular protests against restrictions on cultural and religious freedom.
Self-immolations are rare among Tibetans, though, and represent a new challenge for a government whose policies toward ethnic minorities were shaken by rioting against ethnic Han Chinese across Tibet in 2008, and by similar unrest in the neighboring northwestern region of Xinjiang the following year.
Xinhua, one of the main government mouthpieces, said the two monks were rescued by police shortly after they set fire to themselves in Aba prefecture in the southwestern province of Sichuan. They were given prompt medical treatment, it said, and were suffering from "slight burns."
"The suicide attempt is under further investigation," Xinhua said, without identifying the monks or their monastery or giving further details.
Local officials said they were unaware of the incident.
Free Tibet named the monks as Lobsang Kalsang and Lobsang Konchok, saying they were both aged between from 18 or 19, and both from Kirti Monastery, one of the largest monasteries in the region and the site of frequent unrest in the past three years.
"The monks called for religious freedom and 'long live the Dalai Lama' before they self-immolated," Free Tibet said in a statement.
The group also said that one of the monks is the brother of another 21-year-old monk at Kirti Monastery called Rigzin Phuntsog, who died after setting fire to himself in March. Chinese authorities have deployed paramilitary police around the monastery and prevented monks from conducting large-scale religious activities since, according to Free Tibet and other activist groups.
Another 29-year-old Tibetan monk called Tsewang Norbu died in August after setting fire to himself in Tawu, site of another monastery about 100 miles away, according to activist groups.
"This is now the fourth act of self-immolation in six months, an unprecedented trend, underlining the growing desperation among some young Tibetans," said Free Tibet Director Stephanie Brigden. "It is impossible to confirm what prompted this act of protest, but it is believed to be in response to mounting pressure on the monastic community at Kirti Monastery and Phuntsog's family members."
Ms. Brigden said that in the past few weeks, six monks, including an uncle and brother of Phuntsog, had been sentenced for their alleged involvement in his self-immolation.
Chinese state media reported late last month that three Tibetan monks had been given jail sentences of 10, 11 and 13 years for "intentional homicide" after being convicted of helping Phuntsog to set himself on fire.
The latest self-immolations came two days after the Dalai Lama released a statement saying he would consult Buddhist scholars when he was "about 90" to evaluate whether the institution of the Dalai Lama should continue.
If it was to be continued, then he would follow Tibetan Buddhist traditions, which he said allowed him either to be reincarnated after his death, or to choose his own successor while he was still alive. "I shall leave clear written instructions about this," he said. "Bear in mind that, apart from the reincarnation recognized through such legitimate methods, no recognition or acceptance should be given to a candidate chosen for political ends by anyone, including those in the People's Republic of China."
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei responded at a daily news conference by accusing the Dalai Lama of "distorting and denying" history. He insisted that the title of the Dalai Lama was traditionally conferred by Beijing and was otherwise illegal.
"There has never been a practice of the Dalai Lama identifying his own successor," Mr. Hong said.