Tibetan Government-in-Exile remembers monk who self-immolated protesting Chinese rule

Dharamshala (Himachal Pradesh) [India], August 15 : The Central Tibetan Administration (CTA), the Tibetan government-in-exile, remembered self-immolator monk Tsewang Norbu, a 29-year-old Tibetan who set himself on fire on 15 August 2011 in protest against Chinese repression in Tibet.

On its official X account, the CTA stated, "Moments before the protest, Tsewang Norbu raised slogans of 'Freedom in Tibet' and 'Return of His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama to Tibet', while scattering leaflets with similar messages at Chume Bridge in Tawu County."

The CTA added that his act stemmed from deep anger over China's suppression of Tibetan culture and its harsh crackdowns, particularly after the 76th birthday of the Dalai Lama on 6 July 2011, when large numbers of Tibetans defied government orders to celebrate.

"Following the protest, Chinese troops tried to forcibly seize Tsewang Norbu's body from monks performing his last rites at the monastery. Subsequently, thousands of troops were deployed around the monastery. Armed guards filled the streets and Tibetan neighbourhoods of Tawu, while movement, phone, and internet access for locals were heavily restricted," it continued.

The CTA concluded by saying, "These protests to escape Chinese rule reveal the unbearable suffering of Tibetans. Chinese oppression has made life so harsh and hopeless that many Tibetans choose death over enduring the hellish rule of the Chinese government."

According to the post, Tsewang Norbu was a monk at Nyitso Monastery in Karze's Tawu County, in the traditional province of Kham, now incorporated into Sichuan Province. He died on the same day he self-immolated, 15 August 2011.

China's occupation of Tibet began in 1950, when the People's Liberation Army invaded the region, claiming it as part of China. In 1951, the Seventeen Point Agreement formalised Chinese control, though Tibetans say it was signed under duress.

Beijing imposed strict political, cultural, and religious restrictions, leading to uprisings like the 1959 revolt, after which the Dalai Lama fled to India. Since then, repression and Sinicisation policies have intensified.

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