May 27, 2015 6:42 PM
A Tibetan mother of two set herself on fire Wednesday to protest China’s repressive policies towards Tibetans.
Sangye Tso, 36, self-immolated in front of a Chinese security and re-education building located within the compound of Choparshing monastery in the Chinese province of Gansu.
Sources say police arrived within minutes of the incident and took her away. It is unclear if Sangye Tso was alive when she was taken into custody.
In recent cases of self-immolation, the protesters have been taken away still alive, with the authorities informing their families the next day that their loved ones had died and been cremated during the night. Tibetans view this practice as a form of punishment since it robs the family of the opportunity to cremate their loved ones according to Tibetan traditions.
There have been more than 140 such acts in Tibetan areas since 2009, but the protests have been less frequent in recent months, following the imposition of fines and other penalties for families and others with close ties to self-immolators.
