Tibetan religious leader ‘dies’ in Chinese custody
The Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) has alleged that it has confirmed reports that Tulku Hungkar Dorje, the throne holder of Lungngon monastery in Gade County, Golog, in Tibet’s province of Amdo, has passed away after going missing for a long period.
The CTA has alleged that according to reliable sources, Chinese officials have notified senior religious figures at Lungngon monastery about his death on April 2 but have refused to return the body or provide details about the circumstances of his death.
The Central Tibetan Administration has called on the international community to condemn this extrajudicial killing and demand transparency from Chinese authorities regarding the circumstances of Tulku Hungkar Dorje’s detention and death. This highlights the ongoing and ever-growing choking of human rights in Tibet where Tibetans live under constant fear of arrest and persecution for the slightest expression of Tibetan identity. It also underscores the fact that those who peacefully advocate for cultural and religious freedom continue to face arbitrary detention, torture and execution.
The Central Tibetan Administration has urged international human rights organisations and governments to press China for accountability and to respect the fundamental rights and freedoms of the Tibetan people.
The CTA has said that Dorje, a respected religious leader and philanthropist, was reportedly detained by Chinese authorities in early 2024. In August 2024, Chinese officials claimed he had gone missing shortly after he gave a public teaching on July 21, 2024. Subsequently, conflicting reports emerged about his whereabouts. The confirmation of his suspicious demise represents the latest case in China’s ongoing campaign of repression against Tibetan religious and cultural leaders, the CTA has alleged.
CTA has alleged that Chinese authorities targeted Dorje on fabricated charges after he declined to arrange an elaborate reception for the Chinese government- appointed Panchen Lama during his visit to the Golog region.
Charges against him included disobeying higher authorities for his philanthropic work of establishing monasteries and schools, and causing disturbance for advocating for the rights and freedom of marginalised Tibetans under the repressive Chinese rule.
His death follows a disturbing pattern of Chinese authorities targeting influential Tibetan figures who promote Tibetan culture, language and identity. The detention, torture and killing of respected leaders like Dorje is a deliberate strategy to silence those who advocate for Tibetans’ fundamental rights, CTA alleged.
The CTA has claimed that Tibetans inside Tibet have taken to social media platforms to express their grief following the death of Dorje.
Born in 1969, Tulku Hungkar Dorje was known for his extensive humanitarian and educational efforts in Tibet. He established the Gesar Philanthropic Foundation in 2004 and founded 14 primary and secondary schools, providing free education to thousands of Tibetan children from nomadic and agricultural communities. In 2007, with permission from local authorities, he established the Hungkar Dorje Nationalities Technical High School with approximately 1,000 teachers and students.
Himachal Tribune