Chinese migrant burns himself in Tiananmen Square

He set fire to himself at about 9 a.m., and the flames were put out within 10 seconds, the Hong Kong-based Information Center for Human Rights and Democracy said in a statement.

Photo: Chinese migrant burns himself in Tiananmen Square

Guards and an ambulance rushed to the scene and took the man away, the center said, without giving other details, the AP reports.

Beijing police did not respond to telephone and fax requests for information. The administration that oversees Tiananmen Square referred all questions to Beijing's foreign affairs office, which said it had not heard of the case.

Security around the square, historically a gathering place for protests, is usually extremely tight and such incidents are now rare.

In 2003, a laid-off worker set himself on fire, two weeks after another man had set himself ablaze to protest the demolition of his home. Both were hospitalized for injuries.