Published at 12:40 a.m. ET: BEIJING – A controversial new documentary released by Chinese state broadcaster, CCTV, is alleging that the American government’s official broadcaster, Voice of America, is encouraging Tibetans to set themselves on fire.

The story comes as China braces itself for the 100^th Tibetan self-immolation since 2009.

The 25-minute documentary, roughly translated as, “Outside Tibetan Separatist Cliques and the Southern Gansu self-immolations,” ran on the CCTV show, “Focus Today” and showed a Tibetan man in a hospital bed who allegedly attempted to self-immolate.

Seemingly prompted to explain why he had attempted to light himself on fire, the man says, “I did it after watching VOA, I saw the photographs of self-immolators being commemorated. They were treated like heroes.”

The documentary coincides with a story printed earlier this week in the English language government newspaper, China Daily, which also suggested that the American government broadcaster was influencing Tibetans’ decision to set themselves alight.

Citing the example of one 18-year old Tibetan named Sangdegye, who attempted to self-immolate last December, the China Daily noted that he “adored the self-immolators VOA reported on,” citing them as “heroes.” 

In addition to accusing VOA of inciting Tibetans to self-immolate, the CCTV piece also sensationally accuses the company of employing secret codes to send messages to people inside Tibet.

VOA Director David Ensor categorically denies the accusations.

In a press release issued by Voice of America on Wednesday after the Chinese stories came out, Ensor called the documentary’s accusations “totally false” and called the self-immolations a sign of distress in Tibet. 

“We do report these tragic stories,” Ensor said from VOA’s headquarters in Washington D.C., “We do not encourage these self-immolations. That is wrong.”

Regarding allegations that the American broadcaster was transmitting secret coded messages to Tibetans, Ensor said, “That is one of the more amazing parts of the CCTV report.  That suggestion is totally absurd.”

Calls by NBC News to the VOA office in Beijing were referred back to their U.S. headquarters. VOA is asking that CCTV and the China Daily both retract their reports. 

Voice of America has been broadcasting internationally since 1942 and serves as the American government’s official means of communicating with foreign populations.  Generating approximately 1,500 hours of content each week in 43 languages, the network has sometimes run afoul of foreign governments.

Simmering tensions in Tibet
Over the years, Tibet has become an increasingly sensitive topic for China’s ruling Communist Party. Dramatic protests by hundreds of Tibetan monks in 2008 in the provincial capital, Lhasa, and ethnic Tibetan areas around China forced Beijing to crackdown on what they call “separatist activities” incited by a “Dalai Lama clique.”

Since then, a heavy military presence has installed itself in Tibetan towns and temples and foreign travel to the restive region has been curtailed. Foreign journalists have been unable to travel to Tibet except by invitation by the Foreign Ministry.

A mass migration of ethnic Han Chinese to Tibetan areas for economic opportunities has many Tibet-watchers accusing China of eroding Tibetan culture and placing their economic benefits over those of poorer ethnic Tibetans.

Visits to Tibetan regions outside of Tibet – forbidden now without permission from the government – by foreign media have shown similar rising tensions among ethnic Tibetans.

The phenomenon of Tibetans self-immolating has been extensively covered by foreign press here in China, but is largely ignored by domestic media. A high-profile court case last week though made big news in local press as a Tibetan monk and his nephew were found guilty of “intentional suicide” and sentenced to a suspended death sentence with two year reprieve and 10-years in prison respectively.

The pair was accused of inciting eight Tibetans to self-immolate, three of whom later died.

PORTLAND, Ore. -- A vivid mural in an Oregon town that depicts a Tibetan monk's immolation and promotes independence for Taiwan has created a dust-up with China, whose consular officials have asked the city to take "effective measures" to stop such advocacy.

The mayor of the town of Corvallis, where a Taiwanese-American businessman installed the downtown mural to express his political views, responded by telling consular officials free speech laws barred the town from taking any action.

The status of Taiwan and the human rights situation in Tibet is a contentious political issue for China, which considers Taiwan a breakaway province to be eventually unified with the mainland.

See a picture of the mural in this article from the Corvallis Gazette-Times

Tensions over Tibet are at their highest in years after a spate of protests over Chinese rule and self-immolations by Tibetan activists, which have prompted a Chinese security crackdown.

"There is only one China in the world, and both Tibet and Taiwan are parts of China. It is a fact recognized by the U.S. and most other countries in the world," read an August 8 letter to Corvallis city leaders from China's Consulate in San Francisco.

"To avoid our precious friendship from being tainted by so-called 'Tibet Independence' and 'Taiwan Independence,' we sincerely hope you can understand our concerns and adopt effective measures to stop the activities advocating 'Tibet Independence' and 'Taiwan Independence' in Corvallis," it added.

Group: Teens set selves on fire, taking Tibet burnings over 50

'Freedom of artistic expression'
The brightly colored mural, painted last month, runs 100 feet long and about 10 feet high along the top of a building at a busy intersection owned by businessman David Lin, who came to America from Taiwan in the 1970s.

The mural shows the immolation of a Tibetan monk against a bright yellow background and depicts a Tibetan monk being beaten by Chinese police, in addition to what the Corvallis Gazette-Times described as "images of Taiwan as a bulwark of freedom."

Lin, 65, told Reuters he had long been concerned about China's role in Taiwan and Tibet, and commissioned the mural because: "I feel that somebody has to stand up and do something."

Lin told the Corvallis Gazette-Times that he was "under a lot of pressure to take down the mural," saying his family and friends were concerned about possibly being arrested if they go to China.

Still, he did not plan to remove it. "I'll just keep it the same. ... I've got to live my life, that's all."

PhotoBlog: Tibetan man sets himself on fire in protest

Municipal leaders said they had informed the consular officials that there was no room for the city government to get involved in such a matter.

"I responded to them that I was sorry to learn the art work caused concern," Corvallis Mayor Julie Manning said, adding that she told Chinese officials in a written response that the U.S. Constitution guarantees freedom of speech, "and this includes freedom of artistic expression."

The Chinese consulate then sent representatives to Corvallis to express concern in person on September 4. Vice Consul Zhang Hao and Deputy Consul General Song Ruan met with Manning and City Manager Jim Patterson. That meeting did not include any demands.

Corvallis, about 80 miles south of Portland, has a population of about 54,500 people. It is home to Oregon State University, which Patterson said has an estimated 1,600 Chinese students.

The Chinese consulate in San Francisco did not respond to an email request for comment and could not be reached by phone.

Reuters contributed to this report. 

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Ashwini Bhatia/AP

An exile Tibetan places candles on a sculpture known as Tibetan martyr's wall, during a candlelit vigil earlier this month in Dharmsala, India, in solidarity with Tibetans.

The number of Tibetans who have set themselves on fire in protest at Chinese rule of their homeland has topped 50 after two teenagers burned to death in a southwestern corner of the country, a rights group said.

The pair, one an 18-year-old monk and the other a 17-year-old former monk, died on Monday after setting themselves on fire outside the Kirti monastery in Ngaba, a heavily Tibetan part of Sichuan province, the London-based Free Tibet group said.

An eyewitness account quoted by Radio Free Asia described the pair shouting “Ki! Ki!,” a Tibetan battle cry.

Their protest brings to 51 the number of Tibetans who have set themselves alight since 2009, when the burnings first began, according to a Free Tibet statement dated August 27.

At least half of them are believed by rights groups to have died, while scores of other Tibetans have been reported detained by security forces after protests that follow the burnings.

Amid unrest, China bans travel to Tibet

"Free Tibet has grave concerns for the well being of the hundreds of Tibetans who we know are in detention following protests," Free Tibet Director Stephanie Brigden said.

Calls seeking comment to the government in Ngaba, known as Aba in Chinese, were not answered.

China has branded the self-immolators "terrorists" and criminals, and has blamed the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader, the Nobel Peace Prize-winning Dalai Lama, for inciting them.

Beijing considers the Dalai Lama a separatist, while he says he merely seeks greater autonomy for his Himalayan homeland, and denies supporting violence.

Report: Hundreds detained after Tibet self-immolations

Activists say China tramples on religious freedom and culture in Tibet, which has been ruled with an iron rod by the Chinese since 1950. China rejects such criticism, saying its rule ended serfdom and brought development to a backward area.

The self-immolations came two days after a nun in a nearby region staged a protest alone to challenge Beijing’s rule, according ti Radio Free Asia. The nun was detained and taken away.

Reuters contributed to this report.

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BEIJING - China has blasted a State Department report that criticized its controls on religion, saying Thursday that the document was prejudiced and an attempt to meddle in domestic affairs.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry's condemnation of the International Religious Freedom Report released this week was predictable -- and the latest reminder of how human rights issues remain a chronic irritant between Washington and Beijing.

The annual report issued Monday found a "marked deterioration" in state respect for religious freedom in China in 2011, and cited tighter restrictions on religion, especially in Tibetan Buddhist monasteries and nunneries.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei adamantly disagreed.

"Chinese people of every ethnicity enjoy full freedom of religion and faith," Hong said in comments issued on the ministry's website.

"The U.S. side should abandon its prejudices," he said.

"Stop exploiting religious issues to meddle in China's internal affairs, and don't do things that harm Sino-American relations and mutual trust and cooperation," he added.

A stressed relationship
Tension between China and the United States spans issues such as the U.S. trade deficit, American arms sales to Taiwan, and mutual wariness over regional intentions and military plans.

Behind the Wall: Full coverage of China on NBCNews.com

U.S. criticism in the report included a claim that "official interference in the practice of these religious traditions exacerbated grievances and contributed to at least 12 self-immolations by Tibetans in 2011."

Since March 2011, there have been more than 40 self-immolations by Tibetans, including Buddhist monks and nuns, reflecting anger over Chinese controls.

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The Chinese government faces challenges by Buddhist Tibetans, who revere the Dalai Lama and support Tibetan independence; members of the Islamic Uighur minority in northwest Xinjiang Province who protest Chinese rule; the outlawed Falun Gong spiritual sect, which authorities accuse of practicing a dangerous cult in the guise of promoting health exercises; and the many underground house churches and religious believers, including Catholics who recognize the authority of the Vatican, who are not part of the officially-sanctioned churches.

Complete international coverage on NBCNews.com

The rift between Beijing and the Vatican was dramatized again last month when a Shanghai bishop, ordained with the Vatican's approval, was taken away by officials after he declared he was quitting the Communist-led Patriotic Catholic Association, according to reports.

After a meeting on human rights in late July, the U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Michael Posner said Beijing was moving in the wrong direction on human rights.

Read the full State Department International Religious Freedom Report for 2011

NBC News staff and Reuters contributed to this report.

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© Jacky Chen / Reuters / REUTERS

Policemen take pictures of the unfolding of a giant thangka, a religious silk embroidery or painting unique to Tibet, during the Shoton Festival at Drepung Monastery on the outskirts of Lhasa, Tibet Autonomous Region August 29, 2011.

Beijing has banned foreign tourists from traveling to Tibet, reports from the region said Thursday. The news comes amid growing unrest in the Chinese-ruled region, including self-immolations by ethnic Tibetans.

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Follow Kari Huus on Twitter and Facebook.

Travel agents have been told that the Himalayan region is off-limits to foreign travelers, the Voice of America and other news services reported on Thursday. They said there was no word on when the ban might be lifted.

The ban comes at the start of the Saga Dawa festival celebrating the birth of Buddha, an event on the Tibetan calendar that traditionally prompts a large influx of Buddhist pilgrims and tourists to Tibet.

This year, foreigners are unable to obtain permits to travel there during the celebration, according to the reports.

"It was halted in late May. People said it was because of the ... festival," an employee at the Tibet China Travel Service told AFP.

Long-simmering unrest among China's ethnic Tibetan population erupted into large-scale protests in Tibet in March 2008, and the government responded with a crackdown. Tibet was closed to foreign tourists for more than a year, and security remains tight.

CCTV VIA APTN file

A video image from Llasa in March 2008, when Tibetan unrest erupted into the largest and most violent protests against Chinese rule of Tibet in nearly two decades. The protests were crushed by Chinese military forces, foreign travel to the region was banned for about a year and security has remained tight.

Since March of 2011, more than 30 people are known to have set themselves on fire in protest of Chinese rule, alleged human rights violations and massive immigration to Tibet by Han Chinese, according to the pro-independence advocacy group Free Tibet, which has documented cases of self-immolation.

The group said two people set themselves on fire in front of the iconic Jokhang Temple in Llasa in late May — the first reported self-immolation cases in Tibet’s capital city.

Increasingly, Tibetans have risked arrest to circulate videos of immolations and other protests for independence or greater self-determination, the group said.

Foreigners traveling to Tibet generally face more restrictions than when traveling in China, and the Chinese government rarely issues permits for foreign journalists to visit the region.

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BEIJING - Hundreds of Tibetans in Lhasa have been detained by Chinese security officers after two self-immolation protests against Chinese rule over Tibet, according to U.S.-funded broadcaster, stoking concerns of spreading unrest among Tibetans in China.

Locals detained are being held in detention centers in and around Lhasa while many of those from outside the Tibet Autonomous Region have been expelled, Radio Free Asia said.

On Sunday, two Tibetan men set themselves on fire in Lhasa, state news agency Xinhua said, the first time in four years of a major Tibetan protest against Chinese rule. One of the men died.

China has branded the self-immolators "terrorists" and criminals and has blamed exiled Tibetans and the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, for inciting them.

Protesters set themselves on fire near temple popular with tourists in Tibet capital

At least 35 Tibetans have set themselves on fire since March 2011 in protest against China's six-decade rule over Tibet, according to Tibetan rights groups. At least 27 have died.

Hao Peng, head of the Communist Party's Commission for Political and Legal Affairs in the Tibet Autonomous Region, has urged authorities to tighten their grip on the Internet and mobile text messaging, reflecting government fears about unrest during a month-long Buddhist festival which started last week.

The move is the latest in a series of measures the government says are intended to maintain stability.

Video: Are we seeing a Tibetan spring?

Beijing considers the Dalai Lama, who fled into exile in India in 1959 after an abortive uprising against Chinese rule, a separatist. The Dalai Lama says he merely seeks greater autonomy for his Himalayan homeland. 

Reuters contributed to this report.

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BEIJING – A stray dog has become China’s newest celebrity after latching onto a group of cyclists and traveling more than 1,100 miles over at least 12 mountains, some as high as 13,000 feet, in China’s southwestern Tibetan Plateau.

The homeless dog, nicknamed Xiao Sa, finished her 24-day journey from China’s Sichuan Province to Lhasa, Tibet on May 24.

“At first we didn’t think about adopting her at all,” said 22-year-old cyclist and college student Xiao Yong in an interview with China Central TV. “But we were shocked by her perseverance. She followed us [from Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan province] to Litang [a town in Sichuan province with a 2.6 mile altitude]. We then decided to make a cage for her when we had a steep road going downhill.”

The long march began with a chicken leg Xiao Yong tossed to the puppy when he started his bike ride in early May. The little mutt followed the cyclist team after that and became part of the cycling group.

They came up with the nickname “Xiao Sa” by combining the term “xiao,” which means “little,” with the last syllable of Lhasa, the administrative capital of Tibet and the cyclists final destination.

“She once ran 37 miles in one day, going uphill. We were very impressed by Xiao Sa’s persistence, that inspired us all the way till our destination, the Potala Palace [in Lhasa, Tibet],” said Xiao Yong. “I’ll take Xiao Sa back home. I think she’s taking me as her owner now.”

Lu Bo, another team member, said the little white fur-ball was an inspiration to the whole team. The dog “made us so happy. Once a few of our team members lagged behind, she ran from hill top to the bottom, to bring these guys to the rest of the team. She injected power into us,” said Lu. 

She is now with her new owner, Xiao Yong, in Wuhan, capital city of the southern Hubei province.

And like a true celebrity, Xiao Sa has even opened her own Weibo account, China’s most popular Twitter-like service. It is called “GoGoXiaoSa,” where fans can check out her latest photos and whereabouts. And she already has over 82,000 followers.

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Two men engulfed themselves in flames outside a temple popular with tourists in Lhasa – the first time such protests at Chinese rule have reached the tightly-guarded Tibetan capital.

The self-immolations are thought to be the first in Lhasa and the second inside Tibet, the BBC reported Monday.

One of the men died and the other was hospitalized after they set themselves on fire Sunday outside the Jokhang Temple, the official Xinhua News Agency said.

From March: Tibetan man sets himself on fire

At least 34 Tibetans have set themselves on fire since March 2011 in protest against China's six-decade rule over Tibet, according to Tibetan rights groups. At least 24 have died, Reuters reported.

Turmoil builds in Tibet

China has branded the self-immolators "terrorists" and criminals and has blamed exiled Tibetans and the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, for inciting them.

Grisly videos of the self-immolation are regularly posted on activist websites such as Free Tibet.

Beijing considers the Dalai Lama, who fled into exile in India in 1959 after an abortive uprising against Chinese rule, a separatist. The Dalai Lama says he merely seeks greater autonomy for his Himalayan homeland.

Slideshow: The Dalai Lama

Harish Tyagi / EPA

See images of the life of Tenzin Gyatso, the 14 Dalai Lama and exiled spiritual leader of Tibet's Buddhists.

Launch slideshow

China says Tibet has always been part of its territory, but many Tibetans say the Himalayan region was virtually independent for centuries until Chinese troops invaded in the 1950s.

Protests have become rare in remote Tibet and Lhasa in particular because of tight police security that has blanketed the area since anti-government riots erupted in Lhasa in 2008, the Associated Press reported.

China struggles to contain wave of defiance in Tibet

Chinese authorities have confirmed some of the self-immolations over the past year but not all.

The twin immolations in the heart of Tibetan capital are certain to embarrass the region's communist leadership, who have pledged to make social stability and ethnic unity top priorities. That mandate is especially pressing this year as China prepares for a once-a-decade leadership transition in the fall and doesn't want the occasion undermined.

U.S.-funded radio broadcaster Voice of America said the two men worked at a Lhasa restaurant called Nyima Ling. It identified one of the men as 19-year-old Dorjee Tseten but was unable to give the name or age of the other.

Dalai Lama donates $1.7 million prize to charity

"This was the first time it has happened in Lhasa — and right in the middle of Lhasa," said Tenzin Tsundue, a Tibetan poet and one of the most prominent activists living in India.

Reuters and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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The Dalai Lama received the 2012 Templeton Prize for his work linking science and wider questions of faith and religion.

The Tibetan Buddhist spiritual leader was awarded the prize, which comes with $1.7 million, Monday at St. Paul’s Cathedral in London.

About $1.4 million will go to Save the Children in India, with about $200,000 set aside for The Minds and Life Institute, a non-profit that researches the partnership between modern science and Buddhism.

Dalai Lama receives 2012 Templeton Prize, gives away $1.7 million award

"We are honored to accept this generous humanitarian gift, which will be used to save the lives of some of the world's most vulnerable children," Save the Children's chief executive Justin Forsyth said in a statement.

According to Forsyth, the funds will be used for programs tackling malnutrition in India.

"This donation will be used practically, to help many more children survive, grow and, as the Dalai Lama said, realize their full potential," Forsyth said.

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