Legislators in the Tibet autonomous region will draft a regulation to further protect and regulate a traditional Tibetan practice known as sky burial, in which the body of a deceased person is left in the open, exposed to birds of prey that, according to Tibetan belief, carry the remains to heaven.

The decision on Thursday by the Standing Committee of the People's Congress of Tibet aims to strengthen legal protections for the ritual, which is practiced widely on the Tibetan plateau and occupies an important place in regional culture.

The move arises from incidents involving tourists in recent years. Aggressive visitors have created problems, particularly for grieving families and burial masters, by taking pictures.