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A Tibetan activist has died after setting himself on fire outside the United Nations headquarters in New York, in what exiled Tibetan groups described as a protest calling for Tibet’s independence from China.
The New York Police Department (NYPD) said officers responded to an emergency call at about 6:30 p.m. local time on Thursday and found the man with severe burns near the UN complex. He was taken to Bellevue Hospital, where he was later pronounced dead. Authorities said investigations are ongoing and have not officially identified the deceased or confirmed a motive.
However, Voice of Tibet, a media organisation run by exiled Tibetans, identified the man as Lobga Rangzen, saying he carried out the self-immolation after making a live appeal for Tibetan independence and unity outside the UN headquarters.
According to local news outlet amNewYork, Rangzen worked as an Uber driver and arrived at the scene carrying a Tibetan flag. A fellow driver, Lobsang Paljor, who said he knew Rangzen through the Tibetan community, claimed the activist had become increasingly angered by what he viewed as China’s restrictions on the Tibetan people.
The incident comes days after China implemented its new Ethnic Unity Law, legislation that has drawn criticism from the United States, the European Union and international human rights organisations. Critics argue the law strengthens Beijing’s control over ethnic minority groups, including Tibetans and Uyghurs, under the banner of promoting a shared national identity.
China maintains that it peacefully liberated Tibet in 1950 and has consistently rejected allegations of repression in the region. However, Tibetan exile groups and human rights organisations have long accused Beijing of suppressing religious, cultural and political freedoms while tightening surveillance and security measures in Tibetan areas.
President of the International Campaign for Tibet, Tencho Gyatso, described Rangzen as “a tireless advocate for Tibet” and said she was deeply saddened by his death.
The organisation said more than 150 Tibetans carried out self-immolations between 2009 and 2022 in protest against Chinese policies, with 10 of those cases involving Tibetans living in exile. The latest incident is expected to renew international attention on Tibet’s decades-long political and human rights dispute with Beijing.
