Man With Tibetan Flag Sets Himself On Fire Outside UN Headquarters In New York

A 52-year-old man died after setting himself on fire outside the United Nations headquarters in New York on Thursday evening. He was carrying a Tibetan flag at the time of the incident.

According to the New York Police Department (NYPD), officers responded to a 911 call at around 6:30 p.m. and found the man with severe burn injuries across his body. He was rushed to a hospital, where he was later pronounced dead, Associated Press reported.

Police have not disclosed a motive behind the self-immolation, and the man’s identity has not been officially released as authorities are yet to notify his family.

However, the New York Post, citing a friend of the deceased, reported that the man is Lobga Rangzen, a Tibetan who had reportedly been living in the United States for about 20 years.

Incident Unfolded During Evening Rush

According to the New York Post, the incident took place near East 43rd Street and First Avenue in Manhattan during the evening rush hour.

Surveillance footage reviewed by the publication reportedly showed Rangzen, dressed in traditional monastic robes, placing a Tibetan flag on the sidewalk before setting himself on fire. He collapsed to the ground less than a minute after being engulfed in flames as traffic continued to move through the area, with several motorists sounding their horns.

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Police officers and security personnel rushed to the scene and extinguished the flames within about 15 seconds. The Tibetan flag remained at the site for nearly an hour while investigators cordoned off the area and examined the scene, according to the report.

UN Says Operations Unaffected

A spokesperson for the United Nations said the incident occurred after the day’s scheduled meetings had concluded and did not affect any UN business, AP reported.

Authorities have not announced whether they are treating the incident as a protest, though the man was reportedly holding a Tibetan flag at the time.

Self-Immolations Linked To Tibet Protests

The incident comes amid the long-running dispute over Tibet’s political status.

China maintains that Tibet has been part of its territory for more than seven centuries and says the Communist Party has governed the Himalayan region since 1951. Many Tibetans, however, argue that the region was effectively independent for much of its history and have protested what they describe as Beijing’s restrictive rule.

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According to advocacy group Free Tibet, more than 150 Tibetans have self-immolated since 2009 in protest against Chinese rule in Tibet. The organisation campaigns for the restoration of Tibetan self-determination and the return of the Dalai Lama, the spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhism, to Tibet.

The group says many of those who carried out self-immolations shouted slogans demanding the Dalai Lama’s return, the release of the Panchen Lama and greater human rights and freedoms in Tibet.

Similarly, the International Campaign for Tibet has documented more than 150 self-immolations between 2009 and 2022 linked to protests against Chinese policies in the region.

China does not recognise the Central Tibetan Administration, the Tibetan government-in-exile, and has not held formal dialogue with representatives of the Dalai Lama since 2010.