Lobsang Palden, 52, Dies After Self-Immolation Outside U.N. in Protest Against China
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Jul 3
Lobsang Palden, 52, Dies After Self-Immolation Outside U.N. in Protest Against China
3 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Jul 3
Summary
Lobsang Palden, a 52-year-old Queens resident originally from eastern Tibet, died after setting himself on fire outside U.N. headquarters in New York on Thursday evening.
Video from his Facebook page showed him carrying and planting a Tibetan flag near East 42nd Street and First Avenue before igniting himself; police said they found him with severe burns around 6:30 p.m.
In a separate video posted earlier Thursday, Palden said any “big action” he took would be purely political, aimed at resisting Beijing’s rule and defending the Tibetan nation.
The protest underscored exiled Tibetans’ continuing anger over Chinese policies they say are eroding Tibet’s identity, culture and language.