Tibetans' Leader Blames China for Self-Immolations The head of Tibet's government in exile has blamed China for a recent wave of self-immolations by Tibetans, saying they have been denied the right to hold conventional protests. Lobsang Sangay says Tibetans were left with no choice but to take extreme action by setting themselves on fire to protest Chinese rule. He says there have been 14 cases of self-immolations reported in the past 2 1/2 months to protest what he called China's suppression of Tibetans' religion and culture. Sangay's statement came Saturday as Tibetans observed two significant anniversaries: the unsuccessful 1959 revolt that caused their spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, to flee Tibet to India, and deadly anti-government riots that rocked the Tibetan capital, Lhasa, in 2008.