County Government Threatens Self-Immolation Communities With Collective Punishment
April 14, 2014
In April 2013, a county-level government in an autonomous Tibetan area of Sichuan province
announced interim provisions intended to deter Tibetans from self-immolating. The provisions
could place at risk the access to housing, livelihood, or financial security of a family, community,
village, or monastic institution if a member of that group committed self-immolation or was
deemed to be associated with one. Such collective punishment is inconsistent with international
standards, even international humanitarian law as applicable during wartime.