A Tibetan man sets himself on fire outside the United Nations headquarters in Manhattan (Screengrab from video on
A man carrying a Tibetan flag set himself on fire in front of the United Nations headquarters in Manhattan, New York City, on Thursday evening, in an apparent act of protest, according to officials and local media reports.A friend identified the protester as Lubja Rangzin, who is said to have lived in the United States for about 20 years. The accident occurred at around 7 p.m. near East 43rd Street and 1st Avenue in New York City, according to the New York Post.CCTV footage showed Rangzhen, wearing traditional monastic robes, placing a Tibetan flag on the sidewalk before setting himself on fire along the busy street during the evening rush hour.
It collapsed to the ground less than a minute after bursting into flames as traffic continued to pass by, several vehicles honking their horns.Police officers and security personnel rushed to the scene and extinguished the fire within 15 seconds. The man was taken to Bellevue Hospital, where he was pronounced dead, officials said. Meanwhile, the Tibetan flag remained at the scene for about an hour, as police cordoned off the area and conducted their investigations.
Police were seen at the scene collecting leaflets, including one bearing the slogan “China out of Tibet,” a message commonly associated with the Tibetan independence movement, also known as the Free Tibet Campaign.According to the advocacy group Free Tibet, more than 150 Tibetans have immolated themselves since 2009 in protest against what they described as Chinese rule over Tibet.The Free Tibet Movement calls for the restoration of self-determination for Tibet and the return of the Dalai Lama, the spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhism, to Tibet. The group says many of the protesters who burned themselves chanted slogans demanding the return of the Dalai Lama, the release of the Panchen Lama, and more human rights and freedom in Tibet.
