Mother, student self-immolate in Tibet

BEIJING, March 5 (UPI) -- A 20-year-old Tibetan girl died after setting herself on fire to protest Chinese oppression in the region, a rights group said.

Free Tibet, a rights group in London, said the 20-year-old student died last weekend. She had protested that "life is meaningless" for area Tibetans.

The rights group reports that Chinese authorities had said the student set herself on fire for personal reasons. Chinese officials took possession of the body after flames were extinguished.

A 32-year-old mother of four also committed a protest suicide near the Kirti monastery in a separate incident in Sichuan province, the rights group said.

Chinese authorities haven't confirmed the reports but about 20 people have set themselves on fire in protests of Chinese policies in the past year.

Tibetan activists said Chinese security officials have used force to quiet monks who are protesting peacefully in the region. Beijing claims it's the Tibetan activists who are to blame for escalating tensions in the region.

The Chinese government claims Western media are distorting the security situation in Sichuan province.

Tibetan activists are calling for more autonomy and the return of spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama.