Falun Gong member dies after setting self ablaze

BEIJING, Feb 16 (Reuters) - A member of the banned Falun Gong spiritual movement died on Friday after setting himself on fire, the official Xinhua news agency said.

Tan Yihui, a 25-year-old shoe-polisher, died after setting himself alight at 12:06 p.m. on Friday (0400 GMT) in the Wanshoulu district in western Beijing, the report said.

The man, from the central province of Hunan, was dead when police arrived, it said.

The report comes weeks after five people, apparently members of the banned spiritual movement, set fire to themselves in January. Xinhua has reported that one woman died of her injuries and the others were in critical condition.

06:27 02-16-01

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