The early spring in the Tibetan-inhabited areas of west China was calm, until some horrifying news broke the peace. Some young Tibetans set themselves on fire, resulting in several deaths and serious injuries.

Watching the pictures of these self-immolations, I was choked with sorrow beyond words, especially as some of the victims were not yet adults.

It's not enough for us to merely extend our condolences to the families of those who died, we should look into the root causes.