Wave of Tibet immolations among history's biggest

BEIJING (AP) -- Dozens of Tibetans have set themselves on fire over the past year to protest Chinese rule in one of the biggest waves of political self-immolations in recent history.

But the stunning protests are going largely unnoticed in the wider world -- due in part to a smothering Chinese security crackdown in the region that prevents journalists from covering them.

While a single fruit seller in Tunisia who lit himself on fire in December 2010 is credited with igniting the Arab Spring democracy movement, the Tibetan self-immolations have so far failed to prompt the changes the protesters demand.

Still, experts describe self-immolations as, historically, a powerful form of protest, and the ones in Tibet might yet lead to some broader uprising or stir greater international pressure on Beijing.