Chinese government employees are making physical threats of violence against Tibetans and Tibet supporters in the UK.

On 3 July 2026, Tibetans, Uyghurs, and Hong Kongers came together outside the Chinese embassy in London to mourn the death of Lobga Rangzen, who set himself on fire outside of the UN Headquarters in New York the day before. This peaceful gathering was met with intimidation and threats of violence by embassy staff, who were seen brandishing electroshock weapons from inside the compound.

These weapons are banned in the UK.

The London Metropolitan Police is investigating and has taken statements. But the Chinese embassy’s response to our vigil raises questions that no police investigation can answer: how prohibited weapons came to be held on premises that British police cannot enter without consent, and what assurance the public has that nothing else prohibited under UK law is held there.

So we are asking the government: how did these weapons come to be in the hands of embassy staff, and will there be any consequences for this breach of UK law?

This distressing escalation by the Chinese embassy is a test of our government’s responsibility to protect its citizens, particularly Tibetans and others vulnerable to China’s transnational repression.

As China attempts to codify its oppressive regime overseas through Article 63 of the law on ‘Promoting Ethnic Unity and Progress’ – which claims jurisdiction over people outside China accused of “undermining ethnic unity” – there needs to be a robust response by the UK government. This law not only threatens Tibetans and vulnerable communities, but also undermines British law and sovereignty.

In an open letter, Free Tibet, a coalition of rights groups, and the Uyghur, Hong Kong, and Tibetan communities in the UK, are calling on the Prime Minister to:

1. Seek a waiver of immunity from the Chinese Embassy in respect of any accredited personnel involved in this incident, so that the Metropolitan Police investigation may proceed unobstructed.
2. Make a statement to Parliament outlining how weapons prohibited under UK law came to be present at a diplomatic mission in London, and if those weapons have since been surrendered or recovered.
3. Declare Article 63 of China’s new law on ‘Promoting Ethnic Unity and Progress’, which claims extraterritorial jurisdiction against people “undermining ethnic unity”, void in the UK.
4. Place China under the enhanced tier of the Foreign Influence Registration Scheme, which has been recommended by both the Intelligence and Security Committee and the Joint Committee on Human Rights.
5. Ensure that no decision is taken on the proposed new Chinese embassy at Royal Mint Court until conditions attached to the permission are shown to be enforceable in practice.

You can read our full open letter to PM Andy Burnham and the UK government at the link below.

Read our open letter