Dharamshala (Himachal Pradesh) [India], July 4 (ANI): Members of the Tibetan exile community held a candlelight vigil in Dharamshala and Ladakh on Friday to mourn Tibetan activist Loga Rangzen, who died after self-immolating outside the United Nations Headquarters in New York City on July 2 in an apparent protest seeking Tibetan independence.The incident drew grief and resentment among exiled Tibetans, with Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) Sikyong Penpa Tsering describing Rangzen’s sacrifice as a reflection of the growing frustration among Tibetans over China’s policies, particularly the Ethnic Unity and Progress Law that came into force on July 1.Speaking to media persons in Dharamshala, Sikyong Penpa Tsering said, “Just this morning, when I woke up, I heard this sad news that one patriotic Tibetan based in New York has self-immolated in front of the UN building.”He said, “For the last few days, there were lots of protest and demonstrations going around the world by Tibetans and Tibet supporters against the ethnic unity and progress law that Chinese government has adopted on March 12, and which was to be implemented from 1st of July so this has serious consequences and implications for Tibetans if this continues for a long time, so we are not only rejecting this proposal, but asking for its repeal.”He added, “There are also elements of transnational restrictions in Article 63 that speak about criminalising people who criticise or oppose the ethnic unity law.”Giving details about Rangzen, Tsering said, “Loga Rangzen was born in Kanze, and he left Tibet in the early 90s and came into exile here in India and went to the United States around 2005-06, and he is unmarried, he is single, and he was always involved in community work in New York. Whenever there are events or whenever there are protests or demonstrations, he has always been a part of that exercise, so 157 Tibetans have self-immolated from 2009 to about 2022.”He added, “They have never witnessed independent Tibet. They see only what the Chinese government is doing to Tibetans in Tibet today and are driven to this level of desperation to burn themselves to death, hoping against the hope that the Chinese government will pay some attention or the international community will come to their rescue.””So I think Loga’s sacrifice demonstrates the frustration on the part of the Tibetan people with what the Chinese government is doing,” he said.He added, “We are very saddened, but at the same time, life according to Buddhism and for the Tibetans is very precious. Even one life is precious, we urge people not to take such extreme actions, even though it might generate publicity for the time being. If a person lives longer, then he can serve the cause for a longer period, and that’s what we need.”Tibetan activist Tenzin Tsundue said, “Loga Rangzen set himself on fire and later succumbed to his burn injuries in New York last night, which is early morning in India, that is 2nd of July, 6 pm in New York. His self-immolation for the freedom of Tibet is truly a message for freedom.”He said, “He says when Tibetans are suffering, when China has been occupying Tibet for the last 75 years and continuing to mine in Tibet, repress the Tibetans, killed more than 1 million Tibetans out of 6 million Tibetan population, and in such situation, the entire international community is directly trading with China, having supply chains and having depend on China’s trade and supply chain. Everybody is taking advantage of Tibet. From the smallest country to the most powerful country like the United States and Russia, everybody is taking advantage of Tibet.”He added, “We are in such a situation, and the situation is tragic. The situation is unfortunate. The sacrifice of a Tibetan is not something that looked spontaneous. What looked like from the video was that he himself organised it. He placed his mobile phone on the roadside. One can very clearly see that he planned it in such a way that he placed his mobile phone and went out, then saw the frame, stood right in front of the United Nations Headquarters in New York and set himself on fire.”He said, “In his message, he was saying constantly, independence of Tibet. He also says Tibetans should unite for the cause of Tibet.””I think Loga’s self-immolation sacrifice is directly to do with China’s imposition of this ethnic unity law and progress,” he said.He added, “This law is draconian not only to suppress the voices of Tibetans but also China’s occupation of other countries like East Turkistan and Southern Mongolia. It is a direct attempt to completely erase the identity culture of what China calls 56 minorities.”He further said, “Sadly, the international community is still trading and having a supply chain with China, and this is something Loga has raised his voice about.”Meanwhile, in Ladakh, a candlelight march was organised by the Tibetan Youth Congress in Leh in support of Tibetan activist Loga Rangzen, who died reportedly after setting himself on fire outside the United Nations Headquarters in Manhattan on July 2. (ANI)(This content is sourced from a syndicated feed and is published as received. The Tribune assumes no responsibility or liability for its accuracy, completeness, or content.)