Chinese police arrest 7 accused of encouraging Tibetans to burn themselves in protest

BEIJING -- Chinese state media say police in northwestern China have arrested seven people accused of persuading a Tibetan villager to self-immolate.

The official Xinhua News Agency says a police investigation found that the self-immolation by a 26-year-old in Gansu province's Hezuo city was "masterminded by key members of the 'Tibetan Youth Congress' of the overseas Dalai clique."

The Tibetan Youth Congress was unavailable for comment late Tuesday evening. It is based in India and advocates independence for Tibet.

Dozens of ethnic Tibetans have set themselves on fire since 2009 to protest Beijing's rule over the Himalayan region.

China blames the immolations on the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, and his followers.

Last month, police accused a monk and his nephew in southwest Sichuan province of instigating self-immolations.

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  Members of the Regional Tibetan Youth Congress (RTYC) participate in a protest against the alleged human rights violations by the Chinese authorities in Tibet, in Hyderabad, India, Thursday, Jan. 10, 2013. (AP / Mahesh Kumar A.)