A 40-year old Tibetan woman, Norchuk, set herself ablaze at 3:30 am on Friday (March 6) in her village in Ngaba, Eastern Tibet. She succumbed to her burns and died on the spot. Her body was cremated by the local government. Norchuk was the 137th Tibetan to set herself on fire in protest of Chinese policies. She was a constituent of Dephu monastery who had recently taken a vow to become a lifelong vegetarian, the sources said in the only details about the woman that were immediately known.Before the Feb. 18 Losar (New Year) holiday, large numbers of Chinese security forces were deployed to Tibetan-populated areas of Sichuan and Qinghai provinces in a bid to deter anti-China protests. The measures included checkpoints examining vehicles on major roads and police equipped with fire extinguishers and fire trucks standing by to respond to self-immolations.In Dharamsala Tibetans and supporters gathered at Mcleod Ganj main square to pay respects and offer prayers for Norchuk and her family.
