When Mr Norbu spoke of Tibet he was careful. Those who knew the second immediately understood. Those who only saw the first world could not comprehend why one of its stars would set himself on fire. Then there was the Tibet experienced by locals, who have watched the authorities tear down Buddhist statues, close Tibetan-language schools and arrest anyone who resisted the state’s campaign of sinicisation. There was the Tibet promoted by the Chinese authorities: a glossy, exotic “minority region”, where grateful nomads and monks were being lifted out of poverty. With his pierced ears and groomed eyebrows, he could have been a Gen Z-er from anywhere.īut Mr Norbu was from Tibet. Sometimes he would play piano or guitar as he sang tunes by Camila Cabello and Frankie Valli. The judges called him luobo (radish), a Mandarin homophone for Norbu. The 25-year-old had competed on a popular reality show, “Sing! China”, only months earlier. But Mr Norbu did not appear to be a dissident. Over the past decade, scores of Tibetans have burnt themselves to death in protest at Chinese rule. ![]() Listen to this story Save time by listening to our audio articles as you multitask OKįans were shocked by Mr Norbu’s action. Enjoy more audio and podcasts on iOS or Android Your browser does not support the element. The man had long been “troubled by mental illness” and “had attempted suicide multiple times”, claimed the authorities. In response to questions about him, the ministry said a man in Tibet had “attempted suicide by self-immolation”-and that he had been taken for treatment immediately. But on March 28th the Chinese foreign ministry suggested Mr Norbu might still be alive. ![]() Fans have spent the past month mourning his death. The Tibetan pop star set himself on fire in Lhasa, the Tibetan capital, on February 25th. ![]() T HE STORY of Tsewang Norbu is shrouded in mystery.
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