Tenzin Nyidon
DHARAMSHALA, Aug. 2: Commemorating one month since the passing of Tibetan independence activist Lobga Rangzen, who self-immolated outside the United Nations Headquarters in New York on July 2, hundreds of Tibetans and supporters assembled in New York City on Saturday for a candlelight vigil, renewing calls for Tibetan independence and denouncing China’s intensifying policies of repression in Tibet.
Organised by the Tibetan National Congress (TNC), the day-long commemoration brought together prominent Tibet supporters, including veteran actor and long-time Tibet advocate Richard Gere, Hong Kong democracy leader Alex Chow, elected officials, and representatives from the Uyghur, Southern Mongolian, and Taiwanese communities in a display of solidarity against what participants described as the Chinese government’s escalating campaign to erase Tibetan identity.
The demonstration also condemned China’s recently enacted “Ethnic Unity and Progressive Law,” which organisers said further institutionalises assimilationist policies targeting Tibetans and other non-Han communities.
The commemorative events began with Tibetan participants performing traditional full-body prostrations from the Brooklyn Bridge to Times Square. Tibetan youths from Students for a Free Tibet (SFT) staged a powerful “die-in” performance, representing the 171 Tibetans who have self-immolated since 2009 in protest against Chinese rule and in support of a free and independent Tibet.
As dusk fell, hundreds joined a silent candlelight vigil before marching from Times Square to the United Nations Headquarters. Participants wore white scarves covering their mouths, a poignant visual symbol that organisers said represented both the silencing of Tibetan voices inside Tibet and the continued silence of the international community in the face of Beijing’s policies.
Addressing the gathering, activist Jigme Ugen, a member of the TNC, delivered a powerful speech arguing that decades of international accommodation had failed to halt China’s tightening grip over Tibet. “For more than 70 years, Tibetans have been told to accept the unacceptable,” he said. “We were told that China’s occupation is permanent, that Tibetan independence is unrealistic, and that we must lower our expectations, soften our language, and adjust our political demands to what global governments find convenient.”
He asserted that while the world urged Tibetans to remain patient, China had used that time to dismantle the foundations of Tibetan society through mass repression, cultural assimilation, restrictions on monasteries, and the expansion of colonial boarding schools separating Tibetan children from their language, culture, and families.
Describing Lobga Rangzen as a lifelong advocate of Tibetan independence, he stated the late activist believed the loss of Tibet’s sovereignty lay at the heart of the Tibetan people’s suffering. “Without political freedom, every other right is fragile and can be taken away,” he said. “Pawo Lobga Rangzen sacrificed his life to end that occupation and restore Tibet’s independence.”
Long-time Tibet supporter Richard Gere also paid tribute to Lobga Rangzen, describing him as a man whose unwavering conviction should inspire action rather than despair. “We’re here tonight to honor an extraordinary Tibetan—Lobga Rangzen,” Gere said. “As controversial as self-immolation may be within Buddhist theology, no one can question the sincerity or the complete commitment of this extraordinary man to his beliefs.”
Gere urged supporters to transform grief into meaningful advocacy, saying that while few are called to make such an ultimate sacrifice, everyone has a responsibility to speak out. ”We don’t have to self-immolate,” he said. “But we can call our congressman. We can talk to our neighbours. We can speak out—with generosity, with purpose. We need to act.”
Reflecting on the message martyr Lobga Rangzen repeatedly shared throughout his life, Gere concluded by urging those gathered to carry it forward: “Nga Bhoepa Yin” — “I am a Tibetan.”
The New York commemoration formed part of a series of memorial events held across Tibetan communities worldwide, marking one month since the passing of Lobga Rangzen. Candlelight vigils, prayers, and public gatherings were organised in several countries to honour his sacrifice and reaffirm calls for Tibet’s independence.
In Dharamshala, capital of the Tibetan diaspora community, Tibetans participated in a candlelight vigil from McLeod Ganj Main Square to Bhagsu, paying tribute to martyr Lobga Rangzen’s life and reiterating appeals for justice, and the protection of Tibet’s cultural and religious identity.
