25-year-old Tsewang Norbu set himself on fire in Lhasa on 25 February 2022. Tsewang Norbu, a popular Tibetan singer-songwriter, graduated from Lhasa University and went on to achieve fame across Tibet and China after competing in a Chinese television singing competition.

Tsewang Norbu died of his injuries and it is believed that his body has not yet been returned to his family.

Reports about Tsewang Norbu’s protest have been verified by rights-monitoring groups who are in contact with anonymous sources inside Tibet. Due to China’s strict information clampdown, it has been extremely difficult to confirm exactly how Tsewang Norbu carried out the protest or what happened afterward. Further complicating this clarity has been the rise of a ‘disinformation campaign’, likely being driven by Chinese authorities.