Latest news with #TulkuHungkarDorjeRinpoche
Hindustan Times
02-05-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
European Parliament chairs push for probe into death of Tibetan leader in Chinese custody
Two chairs of European Parliament have called for a probe into the 'suspicious' death of prominent Tibetan Buddhist leader Tulku Hungkar Dorje Rinpoche, according to a report by Dharamshala-based Central Tibetan Administration (CTA). The report says the chair of the European Parliament's subcommittee on human rights MEP Mounir Satouri and the chair of the delegation for relations with the People's Republic of China MEP Engin Eroglu have jointly written to the Chinese ambassador to the European Union regarding the matter. The report adds that the chair of the subcommittee on human rights has also sent a letter to the Vietnamese ambassador to the EU, echoing the concerns. Rinpoche, who was the head of Lung-ngon Monastery in Gade County, Golog, Tibet, reportedly died while in Chinese custody in Vietnam in March. 'Both letters express grave concern and alarm over the unexplained circumstances of Tulku Hungkar Dorje's death and the subsequent cremation of his body in Vietnam without the consent of his family,' the CTA report says. The chairs called on Chinese and Vietnamese authorities to ensure a transparent, independent and impartial investigation to determine the circumstances of Dorje's 'disappearance and subsequent passing'. According to a statement released by the CTA last month, Rinpoche had been living in hiding in Vietnam since September 2024 due to 'persistent harassment' by Chinese authorities in Tibet. On March 25, he was reportedly arrested from a hotel room in Ho Chi Minh City, formerly known as Saigon, in a co-ordinated operation involving the local Vietnamese police and Chinese secret services agents. He was sent to a local public security office on March 28, where he is said to have died the same day. The Dharamshala-based Tibetan parliament-in-exile has also called for a thorough investigation into the circumstances surrounding the death of Rinpoche, and disclosure of the findings of the investigation.
Hindustan Times
21-04-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Himachal: Tibetan political NGOs condemn cremation of religious leader without family consent
Tibetan political NGOs on Monday condemned the reported cremation of Tulku Hungkar Dorje Rinpoche, a revered Tibetan religious figure who allegedly died in custody under suspicious circumstances in Vietnam late last month, without family consent. Addressing a press conference in Dharamshala, the NGOs have demanded international intervention. They stated that Rinpoche reportedly passed away late in March while in the custody of Vietnamese authorities in Ho Chi Minh City, just days after being arrested in a coordinated operation involving Chinese agents. 'Disturbing information indicates that Rinpoche's remains were cremated in Vietnam without the consent of his family. The Rinpoche's detention, his untimely death in custody, and the subsequent unauthorised cremation constitute grave violations of international legal standards and can be seen to represent a deliberate obstruction of justice, raising serious questions regarding China's involvement in his apprehension and death,' the NGOs said in a joint statement. They reiterated the urgent demand for a full and transparent international investigation into the circumstances surrounding Rinpoche's death. Ju Tenkyong from the Amnye Machen Institute said, 'In the future, the five monks who came to Vietnam to retrieve Rinpoche's body will face extreme danger to their safety. Even now, Lung Ngon Monastery is facing immense difficulties, and forwarding and disseminating photos and information about Rinpoche is strictly forbidden. The monastery has been threatened with shutdown if it violates orders from the Chinese government.' Sonam Tsering of the Tibetan Youth Congress added, 'We condemn the Vietnamese government's handling of Tulku Hungkar Dorje Rinpoche's death, including its apparent complicity with China, opaque investigation, and refusal to release his body to his family. International action is needed to hold China accountable for its transnational repression.'
