Tibet instability a rumor, communist governor says

[Coventina]

Source: Associated Press

BEIJING (AP) — Tibet's governor insisted Thursday that his region is stable and will remain so ahead of a sensitive anniversary marking the Dalai Lama's flight into exile that last year sparked anti-government protests and riots.

Qiangba Puncog, the regional governor, was quoted as saying by the official Xinhua News Agency that reports of recent instability in the Himalayan region were "pure rumor."

(snip)

Over the past month, overseas human rights groups said defiant Buddhist monks took part in marches, protests, and festival boycotts in ethnic Tibetan areas of Sichuan and Qinghai provinces bordering Tibet.

Last week, a monk in Sichuan set himself on fire and was shot, according to rights groups and Xinhua. It was not immediately clear who shot him. Rights groups said the self-immolation was a protest against religious restrictions.



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