Tibetan Activist Lobga Rangzen, 52, Self-Immolates at UN Headquarters
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Aug 5
Tibetan Activist Lobga Rangzen, 52, Self-Immolates at UN Headquarters
3 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Aug 5
Summary
Lobga Rangzen, 52, set himself on fire outside U.N. headquarters in Manhattan on July 2, planting a Tibetan flag and livestreaming the act on Facebook.
Fliers he laid out demanded “FREE TIBET” and “CHINA OUT OF TIBET,” framing the self-immolation as a protest against Chinese rule and a call for Tibetan independence.
Friends said Rangzen was a fixture at New York protests and deeply committed to the cause, even adopting “Rangzen” — Tibetan for “independence” — as part of his name.
The act unfolded a day after Tibetans had gathered outside the Chinese Consulate in 91-degree Manhattan heat, underscoring how central street protest had become to his activism.