New York City police confirmed Thursday that a man died from severe burns sustained near the United Nations headquarters, and activists along with a media outlet representing exiled Tibetans have identified him as a Tibetan man who set himself on fire in a call for independence.
Officers responded to an emergency call at approximately 6:30 p.m. Eastern Time Thursday and found the man with extensive burns. He was transported to Bellevue Hospital, where he was later pronounced dead. Police said an investigation remains underway and did not release his name.
Voice of Tibet, a media organization run by exiled Tibetans, identified the man as activist Logba Rangzen, stating he had “self-immolated outside the UN headquarters in New York after a live appeal for Tibetan independence and unity.”
According to local news site amNewYork, Rangzen worked as an Uber driver and arrived at the scene carrying a Tibetan flag. The outlet spoke with fellow Uber driver Lobsang Paljor, who said he recognized Rangzen from events within the Tibetan community. Paljor told the publication that Rangzen “was enraged by the restrictions the Chinese government had placed on his countrymen.”
The incident took place against the backdrop of China’s new ethnic unity law, which took effect this week. Both the United States and the European Union have voiced concern about the legislation, which gives Beijing a legal framework to take action against people even outside its own borders.
The law establishes a “shared” national identity among China’s 55 ethnic minority groups, including Tibetans and Uyghurs — groups that have historically resisted aspects of Chinese governance. Tibetans worldwide have spoken out against the new law.
Acts of self-immolation by Tibetans protesting Beijing’s policies in Tibet and surrounding regions with large Tibetan populations have occurred before.
China took control of Tibet in 1950, characterizing the takeover as a “peaceful liberation” from feudalistic serfdom. International human rights organizations and exiled Tibetans have long condemned what they describe as oppressive Chinese rule in Tibetan areas — accusations Beijing consistently denies.
Ethnic minority issues remain a deeply sensitive matter within China. Tibetans and other minority groups face heavy surveillance for any perceived signs of “separatism.” Since Xi Jinping assumed the presidency in 2012, Beijing has tightened its institutional grip on Tibet.
Tencho Gyatso, president of the International Campaign for Tibet, remembered Rangzen as “a tireless advocate for Tibet” and said he was “deeply saddened” by the loss.
