SHOCK VIDEO! Taiwanese Man Lights Himself On Fire Outside TV Station

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — An elderly man suffered third-degree burns on 36 percent of his body on Wednesday evening (Dec. 2) after he set himself on fire in an apparent protest of the closure of pro-China news outlet CTi News (中天新聞).

On Nov. 18, the National Communications Commission (NCC) unanimously denied Chung T'ien Television's (中天電視) CTi News a new broadcast license. The news station is part of Want Want China Times Group, which has repeatedly come into conflict with the authorities due to its pro-China stance, having been fined for 21 violations over the past six years that range from spreading disinformation to biased reporting.

On Wednesday evening, a 70-year-old man surnamed Sun (孫) entered the lobby of the CTiTV building in Taipei's Neihu District and handed a red envelope to a security guard inside, requesting it be given to TV show host James Tai (戴立綱) and saying: "Don't give up CTi News!" He then walked back out the entrance, drenched himself in gasoline, and set himself on fire, reported UDN.

In a video of the horrifying incident that has surfaced online, Sun can be seen casually walking around as his entire upper body is engulfed in flames. He was reportedly overheard shouting "Why is CTiTV being shut down?" and "Why did you fire [TV host] Wang Yu-cheng? Where is Wang Yu-cheng?"