A Tibetan man has reportedly died after setting himself ablaze outside the UN headquarters in Manhattan, New York, on Thursday, July 2, The New York Post reported.
The man, identified as Lobga Rangzen, was pronounced dead at Bellevue Hospital. The New York Police Department (NYPD) was alerted of the incident at around 6:30 pm local time, according to AFP.
“At 1832 (2232 GMT) NYPD received a call…a male set himself on fire at First Avenue and 42nd Street. He was pronounced dead at Bellevue Hospital. Investigations ongoing,” NYPD told AFP. Police retrieved placards that demanded “China out of Tibet”.
The man was dressed in a monk’s attire and planted a Tibetan flag on the sidewalk before setting himself ablaze and crumbling to the ground within a minute, according to The New York Post.
His protest comes just a day after China’s new “ethnic unity” law came into force in Tibet, prompting Tibetans, Uyghurs, and Chinese dissidents to stage protest rallies across major cities of the world, saying the law is a worrying step in wiping out the languages and cultures of Tibetans, Uyghurs, and other communities China views as “ethnic minorities”.
“Today, human rights as basic as freedom of speech and religion, or the freedom to even keep a picture of the Dalai Lama, are not there,” he said in a video posted on Instagram just about an hour before the reported time of self-immolation.
At least 159 Tibetans are known to have self-immolated in Tibet since 2009, according to the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA).
Also Read: China’s new ‘ethnic unity’ law has Tibetans, Uyghurs protesting worldwide
First Published: Jul 3, 2026 8:17 AM IST
