A man died after setting himself on fire outside the UN headquarters in New York, police said on Thursday. 

Activists identified the individual as Lobga Rangzen, who had made an appeal for Tibetan independence from China before setting himself on fire.

What do we know about the incident?

New York police said officers responding to an emergency call at about 6:30 p.m. local time found a 52-year-old man with severe burns near the UN headquarters. He was taken to the city's Bellevue Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Police said the investigation was ongoing and did not identify the man or provide a possible motive.

Voice of Tibet, a media outlet run by exiled Tibetans, identified the man as Lobga Rangzen.

The International Campaign for Tibet identified the same person. The organization's president, Tencho Gyatso, described Rangzen as "a tireless advocate for Tibet" who had devoted himself to peacefully raising awareness of human rights in Tibet.

Prompted by China's new Ethnic Unity Law?

Voice of Tibet said Rangzen, who worked as an Uber driver, had set himself on fire after appealing for Tibetan independence. Local news outlet amNewYork reported that he had arrived carrying a Tibetan flag.

According to fellow community members quoted by the outlet, Rangzen was angered by China's policies toward Tibetans and by a new ethnic unity law that took effect this week.

A fellow Uber driver said Rangzen had been "enraged by the restrictions the Chinese government had placed on his countrymen."

The law is intended to promote a shared national identity among China's ethnic groups. The United States and the European Union have expressed concern that it could further restrict the rights of minorities, including Tibetans and Uyghurs.

Tibetan protests against China

Tibetans have previously carried out acts of self-immolation in protest against Chinese rule in Tibet and neighboring Tibetan regions.

China says it peacefully incorporated Tibet in 1950. It rejects accusations by international human rights groups and Tibetan exiles that it has pursued repressive policies in the region.

The International Campaign for Tibet says more than 150 Tibetans self-immolated between 2009 and 2022, including 10 while living in exile.

Edited by: Karl Sexton

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