Tibetan activist dies after setting himself on fire outside United Nations Headquarters in NY
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BREAKING: A Tibetan activist died after setting himself on fire outside United Nations headquarters in New York City on Thursday evening, Radio Free Asia has confirmed.
The source identified the man as Lobsang Palden, also popularly known as Lobga Rangzen, a longtime Tibetan activist based in New York.
Emergency responders and police officers rushed to the scene after the incident and transported Rangzen from the area to Bellevue Hospital, where he later died from the injuries.
RFA reached out to Bellevue Hospital for comment, but it did not immediately respond.
As news of the passing of Lobga Rangzen spreads, Tibetan communities, particularly in the United States, have begun holding urgent late-night prayer gatherings in his remembrance and his sacrifice.
Shortly before the incident, Rangzen went live on Facebook. The video showed him wearing traditional Tibetan attire and carrying a Tibetan flag.
During the livestream, which lasted more than six minutes, he spoke about the situation in Tibet and the importance of efforts to preserve Tibetan language and culture. He also criticized Chinese government policies in Tibet, which he described as an “erasure” of Tibetan identity, and urged Tibetans in exile to increase their efforts in their struggle.
Rangzen was a well-known Tibetan activist who participated in demonstrations and campaigns calling for Tibetan freedom and raising awareness of human rights issues under Chinese rule.
This is a developing story and will be updated as more information becomes available.
Updated: 11.12 p.m.