Tibetan Activist Dies After Self-Immolation Near UN Headquarters

New York, MINA – A Tibetan activist died after setting himself on fire near the United Nations headquarters in New York, according to exiled Tibetan organizations and local police, according to Anadolu Agency.

The New York City Police Department said officers responding to an emergency call at around 6:30 p.m. local time on Thursday found a man suffering from severe burns near the UN headquarters, NBC News reported.

The man was taken to Bellevue Hospital, where he was later pronounced dead. Police said an investigation is ongoing and did not immediately release his identity.

Voice of Tibet, a media outlet operated by exiled Tibetans, identified the deceased as Logba Rangzen. The outlet said he self-immolated outside the UN headquarters after making a live appeal calling for Tibetan independence and unity.

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According to local media reports, Rangzen, who worked as an Uber driver, arrived at the scene carrying a Tibetan flag. Fellow driver Lobsang Paljor said Rangzen was angered by what he described as restrictions imposed by the Chinese government on Tibetans.

The incident occurred as the United States and the European Union voiced concerns over China’s new ethnic unity law, which came into effect this week and promotes a shared national identity among the country’s 55 officially recognized ethnic minority groups, including Tibetans and Uyghurs.

Tencho Gyatso, president of the tibet/">International Campaign for Tibet, described Rangzen as “a tireless advocate for Tibet” and said she was deeply saddened by his death.

China maintains that it peacefully liberated Tibet in 1950. However, international human rights organizations and Tibetan exile groups have long criticized Beijing’s policies in the region, allegations that the Chinese government rejects.[]

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Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)