A Tibetan man who yelled slogans and set himself on fire in front of the landmark Potala Palace in the Tibet regional capital Lhasa last week has been recognized as a popular modern Tibetan singer, according to RFA. Tsewang Norbu, 25, died after attempting to self-immolate on February 25; according to initial reports, the attempt was stopped by authorities.

Local authorities spare no effort to ensure the demands from the higher-ups, forbidding anyone - organization or individual - to have statues of deities displayed in the open air. Built with large sums of money, often donated by believers, religious icons are disappearing across the country, disregarding the massive funds spent and human resources used in the process.