TIBET.— On Monday, 18 year-old monks, Lobsang Kalsang and Lobsang Konchok, from the Kirti monastery in Sichuan province’s Aba prefectuture set themselves on fire in protest to China’s tight control on Buddhist practices.

The Free Tibet campaign said in a statement that the monks called for religious freedom shouting, “We need freedom of religion! Long live the Dalai Lama!” before they set themselves on fire.

Both monks suffered slight burns but are said to be in stable condition.

Lobsang Kelsang is the brother of 21-year-old Kirti monk, Rigzin Phuntsog, who died this March after setting himself on fire. Phuntsog’s self-immolation was also in protest to China’s harsh control of Tibetan Buddhism.

The monk’s death ignited a harsh crackdown with security forces detaining nearly 300 Tibetan monks.

“This shows not only the level of suffering and desperation of Tibetans but also the extreme actions they are willing to take to draw the world’s attention to the situation in Tibet,” said Free Tibet.

Aba has been the scene of a number of protests against the Chinese government over the past several years. Most protests are led by monks loyal to Tibet’s exiled Buddhist leader, the Dalai Lama.

Recent protests have arisen concerning the selection of the successor of the Dalia Lama.

Beijing reportedly wants to pick its own successor who supports China’s policies. China has repeatedly accused the  Dalai Lama of being a separatist leader who supports violence.

The Dalai Lama rejects this accusation, insisting that he is only seeking autonomy for Tibet, particularly in its selection of leaders.

According to Free Tibet, over the past six months at least four monks have chosen self-immolation in Tibet to protest China’s strict control of their religion.

Source: Reuters

Ai Wei Wei spent nearly 80 days of detention in an unknown location with no formal charges brought against him, he has now been released on bail, having confessed to tax evasion and destroying documents.

Ai Wei Wei is not allowed to comment on his detention or leave home without permission. For the next year, he will be carefully watched, unable to leave Beijing. Ai Wei Wei stated to reporters, “I can’t give any interviews because of the situation that I am in, please understand that.”

Police in Beijing said the artist was released on Wednesday for his “good attitude” and in “confessing” to tax evasions. More likely the release was a response by Chinese authorities to the international criticism that followed Ai’s arrest.

The wording used by Chinese authorities suggests that the government might switch the case against Ai to a civil proceeding, this would allow them to back away gracefully from the situation.

Ai is among dozens of others who have been arrested over the last six months in a crackdown on activists. Four of Ai’s associates remain missing, and are believed to be in secret detention.

Ai, a renowned artist, in recent years had become one of the most outspoken critics of the Chinese Communist Party.

Phelim Kine, an Asia researcher with Human Rights Watch, applauded Ai Wei Wei’s release stating, “The public announcement of his release signals that the Chinese government has had to respond to international pressure and that the cost/benefit ratio of continuing to detain him was no longer tenable… sadly, other Chinese citizens less well-known than Ai Weiwei who have been forcibly disappeared since mid-February remain incommunicado, whereabouts unknown and at high risk of torture.”