A spate of self-immolations by ethnic Tibetans in China over the past few months in protest at government controls will never succeed in forcing any policy changes, a senior Chinese official was quoted as saying in remarks published on Friday, Reuters reported. Twelve Tibetans have set themselves on fire so far this year, all but one in a heavily Tibetan part of the southwestern province of Sichuan, which is historically part of Tibet. At least six of the protesters have died. Zhu Weiqun, a vice minister of the Chinese Communist Party's United Front Work Department -- which has led unsuccessful on-off talks with the Dalai Lama's envoys -- said there were "divisions" in the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader's camp. Zhu's remarks were included in a transcript of a meeting between him and European officials and academics in Brussels earlier this month. China's Foreign Ministry has branded the self-immolators "terrorists". -- SPA
