A Tibetan man has died and another been taken away by Chinese authorities, after both men set themselves on fire, in South-Western China, days before the Britain and China meet to discuss human rights.

The cases now raise the number to at least 14 monks, nuns and former monks, who are believed to have self immolated since March.

The first man was reported to have called for the return of the Dalai Lama, before setting himself alight. Soldiers managed to extinguish the flames and have now detained the man in hospital.

A second man reported to be a 42-year-old monk named Sopa, then self immolated, burning himself to death. Reports indicate that after the incident, hundreds of angry demonstrators marched to the local police station and demanded they hand over the body of the deceased monk.

Radio Free Asia, a US broadcaster, said police first refused to give up the body but relented after "the protesters smashed windows and doors of the local police station."

Free Tibet director Stephanie Brigden commented,

"These latest self-immolations confirm that what we are currently witnessing in Tibet is a sustained and profound rejection of the Chinese occupation.

It is a damning indictment of the international community that 14 people, in different parts of Tibet, have now chosen to set themselves on fire and the international community has failed to respond."

China responded by saying that they would step up efforts to fight the unrest, which they claim is caused by the Dalai lama.

Basang Toinzhub, a senior political adviser in Tibet, said his top priority was to maintain stability and promote harmony and he would help the government gain more control over monasteries, "to push forward the patriotic and legal education among monks and nuns."

See our earlier post: Cultural genocide fans self-immolations - Dalai Lama (07 Nov 2011)