New York — Hundreds of Tibetans held a large-scale protest in front of the United Nations headquarters, in New York, on August 6, 2026, holding photographs of 171 Tibetan self-immolators including the latest Tibetan self-immolator Lobga Rangzen. They demanded justice for Lobga Rangzen and 170 Tibetan self-immolators. They further condemned the United Nations for failing to uphold justice for Tibet.
The protest titled "Flames for Independence," organised by the Tibetan Youth Congress, aimed to mark the 5th week of the self-immolation of Tibetan independence activist Lobga Rangzen, which took place on July 2, 2026, in front of the United Nations headquarters in New York.
The protesters stood in front of the UN building and the site where the Tibetan martyr Lobga Rangzen had self-immolated, shouted powerful slogans: “UN, are you deaf? UN, we want justice, we want human rights, we want a free Tibet, we want China out of Tibet now, shame on the Chinese government, China is guilty, guilty of genocide, wake up, world leaders, world leaders, are you deaf? We want justice, justice for Lobga Rangzen, Lobga Rangzen set himself on fire for a free Tibet, Tibet belongs to the Tibetans, Tibet has never been part of China, long live the Dalai Lama, China lies, people die, China lies, Tibetans die, China lies, the UN is missing, shame on the UN, UN, we want justice—justice for Lobga Rangzen.”
The Vice President of the Regional Tibetan Youth New York and New Jersey said: “Two years ago, when I first met Pawo Lobga Rangzen, he told me that there were two important things in his life: the first was to fight for Tibet’s independence, and the second was to bring His Holiness the Dalai Lama back to Tibet. This moved me deeply. One day, the RTYC organised a hunger strike in front of UN headquarters in New York; he was among the participants. He said there wasn’t much hope left to place in the UN, as it had already become an institution serving the Chinese government. In my view, it is precisely because the UN has failed to do justice to Tibet that he chose to protest in front of its headquarters in New York.”
The former President of the RTYC stated: “Pawo Lobga Rangzen self-immolated in front of UN headquarters in New York, representing the 158 Tibetans who have self-immolated in Tibet, because the Chinese government spread false information about them and conceals the reality of their situation as well as their true aspirations; these cases are, in fact, little known to the UN and the rest of the world. Lobga Rangzen wanted to make known the true aspirations of Tibetans living in Tibet, which are: they demanded a free and independent Tibet, as well as called for the return of His Holiness the Dalai Lama to Tibet.”
Another former President of the Tibetan Youth Congress of New York and New Jersey stated: “All the Tibetans who have self-immolated both inside and outside Tibet, demanded for a free and independent Tibet and called for the return of His Holiness the Dalai Lama. What we who remain must do is continue to uphold the final statements of our martyrs and the hope of the Tibetan people, to fight for Tibet’s independence, and to bring His Holiness the Dalai Lama back to Tibet. We must organise more protests and events than before, and more people should participate in them.”
