-Radio Free Asia
Tsewang Norbu is the 158th burning death in protests over harsh Chinese rule since 2009.
A Tibetan man who shouted slogans and set himself on fire last week in a protest in front of the iconic Potala Palace in the Tibet regional capital Lhasa has been identified as a popular contemporary Tibetan singer, sources in the region and in India told RFA Saturday.
Tsewang Norbu, 25, died after the Feb. 25 self-immolation attempt, which initial accounts said was thwarted by police.
“Tsewang Norbu tried to protest the Chinese government by attempting to self-immolate and according to few of my reliable sources from inside Tibet, (he) has died,” a Tibetan living in exile told RFA.
The date and place of his death could not immediately be confirmed. RFA could not reach his family and relatives in Lhasa. Norbu’s mother, Sonam Wangmo, is also a well-known artist in China, the exile source said.
The comment section on Norbu’s social media accounts have been deactivated due to abundant inflow of condolence messages, while many of his songs are now removed from many Chinese music apps, the source said. Click here to read more.