The man, Liu Bo-yan of central Taiwan, poured fuel on himself and then set himself alight. Firefighters found him alive and sent him to a hospital for treatment, a department official said. -- PHOTO: REUTERS
TAIPEI - A 79-YEAR-OLD Taiwan man set himself on fire on Tuesday near a week-old anti-government protest but the reason for his action and his condition were not immediately known, the capital's fire department said.
The man, Liu Bo-yan of central Taiwan, poured fuel on himself and then set himself alight. Firefighters found him alive and sent him to a hospital for treatment, a department official said.
Fire investigators are examining the incident near the Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Plaza in downtown Taipei, where a group of students have been staging anti-government demonstrations for the last six days.
A United Evening News photograph showed him on the ground with flames rising a metre above his body, except for his lower legs, as a bystander poured water on him from a bottle.
A representative of the student group, which is protesting the government's ties with China and Taiwan's law on demonstrations, told the newspaper that the man came with a leaflet saying the ruling party had 'ruined' him for 30 years. -- REUTERS
