A man set himself on fire Thursday outside the United Nations headquarters. The New York City Police Department reported that officers responded to a 911 call around 6:30 p.m. and discovered a 52-year-old man with severe burns. He was transported to Bellevue Hospital, where he was later pronounced dead.
The man, identified by activists and Tibetan media as Lobga Rangzen, reportedly self-immolated while holding a Tibetan flag in protest against Chinese rule over Tibet. According to JPost, Rangzen was an Uber driver and a known advocate for Tibetan independence.
A video live-streamed on Facebook under Rangzen’s name showed him holding the Tibetan flag and then being engulfed in flames. Another video on the same account called for Tibetan unity and independence, criticizing Chinese policies aimed at erasing Tibetan identity, culture, and language.
This incident comes shortly after China enacted a new ethnic unity law, which has sparked concerns among Tibetans and international human rights groups. The law, intended to promote a shared national identity among China’s ethnic groups, has been criticized for potentially deepening cultural erasure of minorities, including Tibetans and Uyghurs. The Yahoo News reported that Rangzen was enraged by these restrictions.
The International Campaign for Tibet’s president, Tencho Gyatso, described Rangzen as “a tireless advocate for Tibet” and expressed deep sadness over his death. The government-in-exile of Tibet and other activists have voiced alarm over the new law and called for global attention to the situation.
This act of self-immolation is part of a broader pattern of protest against Chinese policies in Tibet. According to DW, more than 150 Tibetans have self-immolated in protest since 2009, although such incidents are rare in the United States.
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