Record
SI-170
Date
Place
In front of United Nations Headquarters, New York City, United States
Country
In exile · United States
Age
52
Affiliation
Tibetan activist; President of the Tibetan National Congress of New York and New Jersey; former monk of Gaden Jangtse Monastery
Outcome
Died Pronounced dead at 7:04 pm EDT at Bellevue Hospital, New York (ICT; Free Tibet).
Other spellings
Lobsang Palden, Lobga

What happened

According to ICT, Lobsang Palden, widely known as Lobga Rangzen, carried out a self-immolation protest outside United Nations Headquarters in New York on the evening of 2 July 2026, a day after China's so-called Ethnic Unity and Progress Law came into force; he died at Bellevue Hospital the same evening. Born in Kardze (Ch: Ganzi), Kham, he had been a monk at Gaden Jangtse Monastery in south India before moving to the United States in 2006, ICT reported. It was the first self-immolation protest by a Tibetan on US soil.

Reported words

I don’t want you to mourn for me, I want you to continue the struggle for Tibetan independence. Because the lack of independence is the root of our problems.

Free Tibet press release, 3 July 2026 (from his Facebook livestream)

Aftermath

CTA President (Sikyong) Penpa Tsering issued a statement of condolence and urged Tibetans to cherish their lives; the CTA held a prayer service in his honour (CTA).

Sources & References

Primary records

Human rights organisations