Monk dies after setting himself afire in Tibet

A Tibetan monk died after he set himself afire protesting against the Chinese government's repressive policies in Tibet, the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) said Wednesday.

He was the third Tibetan to self-immolate in less than a fortnight, taking the self-immolation toll inside Tibet to 135 since 2009.

Kelsang Yeshi, 32, a monk of Nyatso monastery in Kardze Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture (incorporated into China's Sichuan Province) set himself on fire Tuesday in front of a police station near his monastery, the CTA said.

"Yeshi raised slogans calling for the return of the Dalai Lama to Tibet and freedom for Tibetans while burning," said the CTA, quoting an eyewitness.

Despite the CTA's appeals, at least 135 Tibetans, including Yeshi, have set themselves on fire in protest against the Chinese government's repressive policies in Tibet.

Out of them, 116 have died while the status or physical condition of the rest continues to remain unknown.

Tibetans spiritual leader the Dalai Lama has lived in India since fleeing his homeland in 1959. The Tibetan administration-in-exile is based in the northern Indian hill town of Dharamsala.