A 30-year-old Tibetan man has died after setting himself on fire earlier this week in an act of political protest, according to the International Campaign for Tibet, marking the sixth death by self-immolation this year.


The organization identified the man as Konpe, a former Buddhist monk, late Wednesday. It said that Konpe self-immolated on December 23 in Ngaba while shouting inaudible statements and died the following day. 

Since 2009, 152 Tibetans including Konpe have self-immolated in "one of the most sweeping and significant waves of self-immolation as political protest globally," according to the International Campaign for Tibet.

Self-immolation is seen as an act of extreme political protest against Beijing, which has ruled Tibet since 1951. Ngaba has been the site of dozens of self-immolations and it is where the movement began in 2009.

A prayer service was held by the Tibetan government in exile in Dharamsala, India on Wednesday, which included remarks from President Lobsang Sangay.

"The video of Konpe's self-immolation that is circulated on social media is really disturbing and poignant," Sangay said at the ceremony, according to a statement from the exiled government.

"Although the slogans that he raised were not clear, we can safely say that the step he has taken is a desperate message to the Chinese government of the grim situation prevailing inside Tibet for Tibetans."