Dharamshala: Central Tibetan Administration held a prayer service on the evening of 14 March at Sikyong auditorium to mourn the death of latest self-immolator, Tsewang Norbu, who reportedly set himself on fire in front of the Potala Palace.
The prayer service was attended by Pro-tem Chief Justice Commissioner Karma Damdul, Speaker Khenpo Sonam Tenphel, Sikyong Penpa Tsering, Deputy Speaker Dolma Tsering, Justice Commissioner Tenzin Lungtok, Kalon Changra Tharlam Dolma, Kalon Gyari Dolma, Kalon Norzin Dolma, members of the 17th TPiE, secretaries and the staff of CTA.
During the prayer service, Sikyong Penpa Tsering addressed the gathering on Tsewang Norbu’s life story and the causes of his self-immolation.
Tsewang Norbu: The 25-year-old artist was born in Nagchu, Tibet Autonomous Region, in 1996. He attended Tibet University and later found his interest in music.
His mother, Sonam Wangmo, was a popular Tibetan singer who was recruited into the “Song and Dance Troupe” of the General Political Department of China’s People’s Liberation Army. However, his maternal uncle Sogkhar Lodoe Gyatso is a Tibetan political prisoner. Having served 20 years in prison already, Tsewang’s maternal uncle is currently four year into his 18-year imprisonment for publishing a video message about declaring a world peace movement and marching around the Potala Palace.
Tsewang Norbu is the 156th Tibetan self-immolator, and the last self-immolator before him was a former monk of Kirti Monastery, Yonten, who set himself ablaze in 2019.