By Tenzin Nyidon
DHARAMSHALA, Feb. 28: Activist group Students for a Free Tibet (SFT) on Sunday organised a commemorative event at the Danny Foundation in Jackson Heights, New York, to honour the memory of Tsewang Norbu on the occasion of his second death anniversary. The evening was dedicated to pay homage through the medium of music and poetry, to the late Tibetan artist who burned himself to death in February 2022.
SFT invited Ngawang Tharpa, Tsewang Norbu’s cousin and a former Representative of the Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile (TPiE). Ngawang Tharpa took the stage to share reflections on the profound impact of his late cousin’s legacy. “I am honoured to be asked here by Students for a Free Tibet to say a few words about my dear Tsewang Norbu, who also happened to be my cousin. His decision to self-immolate in 2022 speaks to the depth of his convictions and the gravity of the issues he sought to address. Despite the tragedy surrounding his act, it’s evident that he possessed a remarkable gift for music and language, with which he undoubtedly left a lasting impact on those who knew him and his audience. His legacy serves as a reminder of the complexity of human suffering and the importance of addressing the underlying causes that drove an individual to such extreme measures,” Ngawang Tharpa said.
Tsewang Norbu was a well-known Tibetan contemporary singer and songwriter in the Tibetan music scene. On February 25, 2022, he self-immolated in front of Potala Palace in Lhasa, Tibet. Following the tragic incident, multiple reports confirmed that Tsewang, then 25 years old, was taken away by Chinese police. However, specific information regarding the circumstances, location, and exact timing of his passing remains unknown.
Tsewang Norbu’s self-immolation on February 25, 2022, was the first reported self-immolation in Tibet since 2019 and the first in Lhasa since 2012. Since 2009, reports documented at least 160 instances of Tibetans resorting to self-immolation as a form of protest against China in Tibet. The overwhelming majority of demands from the self-immolators revolved around freedom for Tibet and the return of the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader, His Holiness the Dalai Lama to Tibet.
Born on October 9, 1996, Norbu hailed from Kham Nagchu. Both of his parents were Tibetan musicians, inspiring him to pursue his interest in music. He later graduated from Tibet University in Lhasa and continued his musical career. Throughout his career, he released a series of hit singles, including, ‘Tsampa’, ‘Dress Up’, ‘Except You’, ‘Gangla Metok’, and his most famous single, ‘Let’s Return to Homeland.’
One Response
Self immolation is wrong. Life of every single Tibetan is important for our cause. A death of Tibetan by self harm is a pain to his family, his loved ones, his community, his nation. Please stop self immolation. World doesn’t care. Whilst many Tibetans empathise with self harm by burning oneself, they tell me there are non violent ( self immolation is violence to the self) ways to redress the tyranny of Xi Jinping.
Non violent methods include writing petition to the presidents office directly asking for honesty in the treatment of ethnic Tibetan people,making songs,writing books and poems, starting stand up comedy, starting rock bands, making films that wins Oscar, etc. these things will get the attention of both china and international community. Do self immolation and no one cares. Hitler killed 6,000,000 Jews in Germany,did the world care ? Mao Zedong killed 48,000,000 Chinese. Did the world care ? Even USA congress is confused whether to give $90 billion dollars to Ukraine to buy guns and bombs to fight war against Russia. Some reply kick an congressman thinks that USA should spend money on their own citizens instead of giving it to a foreign country who is likely to lose the war at the end of day. What about Tibet? We are mere 7 million people . Even if half of us burn ourselves,which is 3 million, will it change anything ?it didn’t in similar cases in the past. Analysts of ancient history in Greece,Rome,Babylon points to similar conclusions. You get what you want only by brute force and hardly through other’s sympathy. We are all just selfish beasts who lack morals but pretends to be moral.
So far about 160 self immolations,but what result ? No result. There’s no a little flexibility in human right for Tibetans recently but if further self immolations happens, then it could get worse for the Tibetans inside Tibet. Xi jinping is evil like hitler. And hitler killed 6 million Jews remember.
There will only be sanctions against china but no war or no increase in financial support for Tibetan government in exile. Western governments are using Tibet issue to gain leverage in their business dealings with china.
Don’t burn yourself Tibetans. You are only causing pain to your family. It doesn’t benefit Tibet cause, it only destroys what little remains of us.
Wake up Sid.