Tibetan activist dies after setting fire to his body near UN headquarters; man demonstrated for the country's independence

A man identified by Voice of Tibet, a media outlet for exiled Tibetans, as Tibetan activist Lobga Rangzen, walks carrying a Tibetan flag near the United Nations headquarters, before setting himself on fire in a call for Tibetan independence.
Lobga Rangzen via Facebook/via REUTERS
New York police reported on Thursday (2) that a man died from severe burns near the headquarters of the United Nations (UN). Activists and a Tibetan-in-exile press outlet identified him as a Tibetan who set himself on fire in a call for the region's independence.
A spokesperson for the New York Police Department (NYPD) said officers responded to an emergency call around 6:30 pm (local time) on Thursday and found the man seriously burned.
He was taken to Bellevue Hospital, where his death was confirmed. Police said investigations remain ongoing and have not released the victim's identity.
Voice of Tibet, a media outlet for Tibetans in exile, reported that Tibetan activist Logba Rangzen "committed self-immolation in front of the UN headquarters in New York following a live broadcast calling for Tibet's independence and unity."
Now on g1
Local news site amNewYork reported that the victim worked as an Uber driver and was to the site carrying a Tibetan flag. The portal cited the testimony of Lobsang Paljor, also an Uber driver, who knew Rangzen from meetings with the Tibetan community. Paljor told the website that Rangzen "was enraged by the restrictions imposed by the Chinese government on his compatriots."
Ethnic unity law comes into force
The United States and the European Union have expressed concern about China's new ethnic unity law, which came into force this week and gives Beijing the legal basis to take action against citizens outside its borders.
The legislation creates a "shared" national identity among the country's 55 ethnic minority groups, including Tibetans and Uyghurs, a portion of which resist Chinese rule. Tibetan communities around the world have demonstrated against the measure.
Previous cases of self-immolation had already been recorded as a form of protest against Beijing's policies in Tibet and neighboring regions with a significant Tibetan population.
China took control of Tibet in 1950, in what it calls a "peaceful liberation" from the feudal servitude regime.
However, international human rights organizations and exiles systematically condemn what they call the regime. China's oppressor in Tibetan areas. Beijing rejects accusations
Issues involving ethnic minorities are highly sensitive in China. Tibetans and other minorities face strict surveillance against any hint of what the government calls "separatism." Beijing has expanded institutional control over Tibet since Xi Jinping assumed the country's presidency in 2012.
Tencho Gyatso, president of the International Campaign for Tibet, defined Rangzen as "a tireless defender of Tibet" and declared she was "deeply saddened" by the activist's death.
According to data from the International Campaign for Tibet, more than 150 self-immolations of Tibetans were recorded among 2009 and 2022. Records indicate that 10 of these episodes occurred with citizens who were in exile.

Source: G1