A 19-yr-old Tibetan set himself alight in protest against the Chinese government on 8 February 2012 around 6.30 pm (Tibet Time) at Ngaba County in Sichuan Province.
Rinzin Dorjee aka Rikpe self-immolated at No. 2 Primary School in Ngaba town, where 13 Tibetans have now set themselves on fire. Soon after the incident, security personnel arrived, doused the flames, and reportedly took Rikpe to the Aba County hospital. Later, he was taken to a hospital in Barkham (Ch: Ma’erkang), capital of Ngaba Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture.
Not much details are available on his condition. However, some sources say that by the night of 8 February, he was believed to be “on the verge of death.”
Rikpe was a former monk of Kirti Monastery. He left the monastery in 2010 for reasons unknown and since then had been living with his family.
He was born in the Garpo Tsongko household in 2nd Division, Meruma village, Ngaba County, to father Tsongko and mother Dungkar. He is the youngest of their six children.
This is the 21st self-immolation act to occur in Tibet since 2009. Out of these, 13 Tibetans are known to have died with the fate of the remaining 8 Tibetans still unknown.
Two monks who witnessed the self-immolation were arrested, according to the source, but their identities and whereabouts are unknown.