Dharamshala: This afternoon, on 8 April 2025, in response to recent reports of the suspicious death of Tibetan religious figure Ven Tulku Hungkar Dorje, the Department of Information and International Relations, Central Tibetan Administration, held a press conference at Lhakpa Tsering Hall, inviting Ju Tenkyong, Director of the Amnye Machen Institute, and Tsangshol Desal from the Dhomay Cholkha Association.
The press conference was led by Additional Secretary Tenzin Lekshay, CTA’s Spokesperson, who introduced the two speakers and provided a brief update on the urgent call for the press conference. Both the speakers and Spokesperson Tenzin Lekshay strongly condemned the Chinese government’s role in the death of Ven Tulku Hungkar Dorje, calling for accountability and intervention.
During the press conference, the speakers strongly appealed for an independent and transparent investigation into the suspicious death of Tulku Hungkar Dorje; the immediate release of his body to Lungnon Monastery for proper Buddhist rites; and accountability from both the Vietnamese and Chinese authorities for the detention and suspicious death.
PRESS RELEASE
With deep sadness, the Central Tibetan Administration confirms the sudden and mysterious demise of Tulku Hungkar Dorje, a prominent Tibetan religious leader, in the custody of Chinese officials in Vietnam. Since late September 2024, Hungkar Rinpoche had lived in hiding in Vietnam due to the harassment he faced in Tibet from Chinese authorities. On 25 March 2025, he was arrested from his hotel room in Saigon, Vietnam, through a coordinated operation by local police and Chinese secret agents. He was subsequently transferred to the local public security office on 28 March, where he suspiciously passed away the same day, raising serious concerns about cross-border security cooperation, transnational repression, and human rights violations that demand immediate and thorough investigation, as well as accountability from both Vietnamese and Chinese authorities.
On 1 April, the Administrative Office of Lungnon Monastery, Hungkar Rinpoche’s monastery in Tibet, summoned relevant individuals to be presented with a Death Certificate of Tulku Hungkar, but they forbidden the individuals from keeping the document or taking photographs. On 5 April, five monks from the monastery, accompanied by Chinese government officials and delegates, traveled to Vietnam to retrieve his body. On the same day, a meeting was convened at the Chinese Embassy in Vietnam where Chinese officials attended, while five Tibetans from the monastery were not allowed to sit in the meeting. It remains unclear whether delegates from the monastery were able to view the actual body or transport it back to the monastery. Currently, the body is reportedly at Vinmec Central Park International Hospital in Ho Chi Minh City.
Tulku Hungkar Dorje, born in 1969 in Tibet’s Amdo province, was a remarkable Tibetan spiritual leader whose life epitomized unwavering dedication to preserving Tibetan identity through education, healthcare, and cultural initiatives. Recognized as the reincarnation of Do Khyentse Yeshe Dorje, Rinpoche established the tuition-free Hungkar Dorje Vocational Technical High School serving over 1,000 students, founded the Hungkar Compassion Medical Clinic to provide healthcare to underserved communities, and created the Excellent Discourse Key Library to safeguard literary treasures. His philanthropic work extended to providing financial support, food, clothing, and medicine to thousands of elderlies, poor, and sick Tibetans. As an educator and author of more than twenty books, he consistently emphasized the critical importance of preserving the Tibetan language, Buddhist traditions, and cultural practices during his teachings across multiple countries. His contributions to environmental protection, social welfare, and moral education demonstrated his holistic approach to preserving not just Tibetan spiritual traditions but the complete cultural ecosystem necessary for Tibetan identity to thrive in the modern world, efforts that unfortunately made him a target of political persecution prior to his controversial death 12 days ago.
Last year, the Chinese government forced Hungkar Rinpoche to host the Chinese-appointed Panchen Lama, Gyaltsen Norbu at his monastery, which he did not comply wholeheartedly as per the Communist Party’s wishes. In August 2024, high-ranking Chinese officials from Qinghai Province interrogated him extensively and forced him to provide fingerprints, alleging he had composed long-life prayers for His Holiness the Dalai Lama and failed to implement Chinese government policies in his educational work in Golog, Amdo. These events precipitated his disappearance in late September 2024, followed by a period in hiding in Vietnam.
It is noteworthy that the suspicious death of Tulku Hungkar Dorje represents a troubling escalation in China’s systematic targeting of influential Tibetan figures who promote Tibetan culture, language, and identity. His case highlights the ongoing suppression of human rights in Tibet, where people live under constant fear of arrest for the slightest expression of Tibetan identity.
The Central Tibetan Administration calls on the international community to condemn the sudden and mysterious death of Tulku Hungkar Rinpoche and demand transparency from Chinese and Vietnam authorities regarding the circumstances of his detention and death. More importantly, the body of Tulku Hungkar Dorje must be immediately handed over to Lungnon Monastery by the relevant officials, allowing for a proper funeral according to Tibetan tradition. This case further underscores the need for accountability and respect for the fundamental right and freedoms of the Tibetan people. We offer our sincere condolences to Rinpoche’s family, friends and disciples and stand in solidarity.
Central Tibetan Administration
Dharamshala, HP, India
