The Tibetans’ fight for freedom continues — but only just

‘Free Tibet!’ used to be a rallying cry for Hollywood A-listers and rock stars. Richard Gere hung out with the Dalai Lama; the Beastie Boys organised a series of giant benefit concerts. Global attention has shifted to other regions suffocating under the jackboot of the Chinese Communist party (CCP), notably Xinjiang and Hong Kong. But the Tibetans’ fight for freedom continues — though only just.

Since 2009, 156 Tibetans have set themselves alight in protest at China’s repressive policies. Nearly a third of them are from Ngaba, a small county on the south-eastern edge of the vast Tibetan plateau. Ngaba (pronounced Nabba and known as Aba in Chinese) is home to 73,000 citizens and a mind-boggling 50,000 security personnel. When the immolations began, the authorities unplugged the internet, severed all communications and set up checkpoints to keep out snooping reporters. Barbara Demick, best known for her prize-winning account of life in a North Korean city, was one of the few who sneaked in.

She made three trips to Ngaba, where the military presence reminded her of wartime Baghdad and the level of fear of North Korea.