Tibetan Man Dies After Self-Immolation in Front of UN Headquarters in New York

A Tibetan man set himself on fire in front of the United Nations headquarters in New York in protest against the Chinese occupation of Tibet. He later died from his injuries.

Police found the man with severe burns around 6:30 PM local time Thursday. He was taken to hospital where he was pronounced dead. Police are investigating and have not commented on a motive.

According to Voice of Tibet, a media platform run by Tibetan exiles, the man was Tibetan activist Lobga Rangzen. He had lived in the United States for the past twenty years and worked as an Uber driver.

Shortly before his act, he began a Facebook livestream in which he called for Tibetan independence and unity. Footage shows the man, dressed in monk's robes, walking calmly to the UN headquarters, placing a Tibetan flag beside himself, and setting himself on fire. He remained nearly motionless for dozens of seconds before lying down on the ground. As cars drove past honking, a responder rushed over and extinguished the flames with a fire extinguisher.

During the burning, Rangzen scattered papers bearing the text 'China out of Tibet,' a well-known slogan of the Tibetan independence movement.

Tibet has been under Chinese administration since 1950. Beijing calls it a 'peaceful liberation,' but human rights organizations and Tibetan exiles have long spoken of suppression of Tibetan culture, religion, and political freedom.

Self-immolations among Tibetans protesting Chinese rule are not uncommon. According to the International Campaign for Tibet, more than 150 Tibetans have set themselves on fire since 2009, some within Tibet and some in exile.