A Tibetan man set himself on fire near the United Nations building in New York City on Thursday evening, apparently to protest China’s oppression of the Tibetan people.
The man was rushed to Bellevue Hospital, where he was pronounced dead from severe burns.
A Tibetan exile outlet called Voice of Tibet identified the man as Lobga Rangzen, either 42 or 52 according to various sources, a pro-Tibetan activist and campaigner who had lived in the United States for about 20 years and worked as an Uber driver.
Rangzen reportedly carried a Tibetan flag and made a “live appeal for Tibetan independence and unity” before immolating himself. Eyewitnesses said he scattered pieces of paper as he was burning. One of the papers recovered by police bore the words “CHINA OUT OF TIBET,” a popular slogan of the Free Tibet movement.
Rangzen’s death was swift; as the New York Post (NYP) reported he “crumbled to the ground less than a minute after he was engulfed in flames,” and it took only 15 seconds longer for first responders to reach him with fire extinguishers.
“Thank God they were there, but it was too late, man,” an onlooker remarked.
A fellow Uber driver named Lobsang Paljor confirmed that Rangzen was a well-known member of the Tibetan community in New York City. According to Paljor, Rangzen was “enraged by the restrictions the Chinese government had placed upon his countrymen.”
“He was always like, you know, peaceful protest, as always,” Paljor told the NYP.
This was apparently a reference to China’s hideous new “Law on Promoting Ethnic Unity and Progress,” which went into effect this week. The law reinforces the status of Mandarin Chinese as China’s official language and Han Chinese as the nation’s official culture. Until now, groups like the Tibetans and Uyghurs have been allowed to speak their own languages in addition to learning Mandarin Chinese.
The new law demands all other religious and cultural considerations be set aside to worship the Chinese Communist Party as the supreme authority, and threatens to punish ethnic minorities for disobedience — even if they live outside of China’s borders.
Rangzen recorded a farewell video message to other Tibetans in exile, in which he expressed gratitude to the Dalai Lama for upholding the “collective welfare of the Tibetan people and nation.”
“Today, our people lack fundamental rights. This is the consequence of Tibet losing its independence. Therefore, unity is essential. The Central Tibetan Administration, the Tibetan Parliament in Exile, and all Tibetans must work together in solidarity for the Tibetan cause,” he said.
Rangzen also reportedly uploaded a short video of himself approaching the U.N. building, clad in traditional garb and carrying the Tibetan flag, moments before setting himself on fire.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun callously dismissed the Tibetan protester’s death at his press conference on Friday, repeating Communist Party boilerplate about conquered Tibet being an “inalienable” possession of China and assuming “relevant countries will handle the matter in accordance with domestic laws.”
The question about Rangzen’s death, and Guo’s response, were omitted from the Chinese Foreign Ministry’s official transcript of the press conference.
Penpa Tsering, the sikyong or political leader of Tibet’s government-in-exile, expressed “deep sorrow” over Rangzen’s death in a statement on Friday.
“While we honour his devotion, human life is precious and must be preserved to serve the long-term struggle for Tibet. On behalf of the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA), I earnestly urge all fellow Tibetans to cherish your lives,” he said.
“The unfolding genocide inside Tibet and the enforcement of the draconian ‘Ethnic Unity and Progress Law’ on 1 July are what drove Lobga Rangzen to this tragic decision. He joins at least 157 Tibetans inside Tibet who have offered their lives to draw global attention to the brutal repression endured under Chinese rule,” he added.
The CTA held a prayer service for Rangzen on Friday, and encouraged Tibetans around the world to hold their own ceremonies.