Police in Gansu province announced on Tuesday that they have apprehended seven people for their alleged roles in convincing a local Tibetan villager to self-immolate.

Police investigations show the self-immolation of Sangye Gyatso, a 26-year-old resident of Duohe village in the city of Hezuo, on Oct 6, 2012, was "masterminded by key members of the 'Tibetan Youth Congress' of the overseas Dalai clique", according to a statement.

Sangye Gyatso died in the self-immolation.