Dharamshala: Parliamentarian Tseten Phuntsok of the 18th Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile (TPiE) attended the Tibetan Freedom Mass Rally organised by the Urgent Action Committee of the Tibetan Community of New York and New Jersey on 12 August 2026 in front of the United Nations Headquarters in New York.

The rally marked six weeks since the self-immolation of Tibetan martyr Lobga Rangzen, who self-immolated in front of the United Nations Headquarters in New York in protest against the Chinese government’s oppressive and brutal policies in Tibet. Several thousand Tibetans from New York and New Jersey, Minnesota, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, and Toronto, Canada, participated in the demonstration to protest Chinese government policies and appeal to the United Nations to take meaningful action on the Tibetan issue.

Upon invitation from the Urgent Action Committee, Parliamentarian Tseten Phuntsok, who represents Tibetans in North and South America, officially participated in the important action. Upon his arrival at the airport on 11 August, he was received by the President and executive members of the Tibetan Community of New York and New Jersey.

On 12 August, the demonstration was presided over by Namgyal Choedup, Representative of Office of Tibet, Washington DC. Speakers included representatives of the International Campaign for Tibet, Tibet supporters, 18-year-old youth activist Thomas King Jackson, who undertook a peace march of more than 1,000 miles in support of the Tibetan cause, relatives of the late martyr, and the Vice President of the regional Tibetan association.

In his address, Parliamentarian Tseten Phuntsok commended Tibetans from all three traditional provinces of Tibet for coming together in unity and solidarity to strengthen and intensify the Tibetan movement. He urged Tibetans to maintain this spirit of unity and continue their efforts in the future.

A message was also conveyed reiterating the calls made by TPiE Speaker Dolma Tsering Tsering. These included urging the Chinese government to engage in meaningful negotiations with His Holiness the Dalai Lama and the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) to peacefully resolve the Sino-Tibetan conflict; demanding an immediate end to the harsh policies aimed at eradicating Tibet’s identity, culture, and language; and calling on the public to remain vigilant against division tactics and rumours allegedly spread by the Chinese government during such critical times.

The message further emphasized that all actions undertaken in support of the Tibetan cause must uphold the dignity, credibility, and reputation of the Tibetan movement and the Central Tibetan Administration.