Seventy people have been detained by Chinese authorities as the government moved Friday to crack down on self-immolations in Tibetan regions.
Beijing is blaming the Dalai Lama, Tibet’s exiled leader, for protests against China rule that have led nearly 100 monks, nuns and activists to set themselves on fire in the past three years, the Associated Press reports. The crackdown is a sign that China’s new leadership will not tolerate rebellion against its rule, AP says.
Tibetans see the self-immolations as sacrificial acts and use the incidents to fuel their quest for religious freedom and the return of the Dalai Lama, who now lives in India, AP reports.
Twelve of the 70 detained were formally arrested, AP reports. Details of the charges are not known.