A Tibetan man has died after setting himself on fire Saturday to protest Chinese rule in ethnic Tibetan areas.

The man, named Tsebey, was in his early twenties. Authorities say he died at the protest site in the Sangchu region of eastern Tibet.

Tibetan activists say it was the first self-immolation of 2013.

Since 2009, more than 90 Tibetans have self-immolated to protest Chinese occupation. The recent increase in self-immolations has coincided with Tibetans staging several anti-China rallies, despite a heavy Chinese security presence.

Beijing accuses Tibet's exiled spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, of inciting the self-immolations to promote Tibetan separatism. The Dalai Lama denies the charge.