Crackdown intensifies in Tibet following the death of influential abbot Tulku Hungkar Dorje, with reports of locals interrogated for online condolences and monks detained for displaying his image.
BY PC Bureau
April17, 2025: – Concerns are escalating within the Tibetan community and among international rights groups following the death of influential Tibetan Buddhist leader, Tulku Hungkar Dorje, while in custody in Vietnam. Adding to the suspicion that the 56-year-old abbot may have died due to torture or mistreatment, Chinese officials have reportedly prevented visiting monks from fully viewing his body. Simultaneously, sources within Tibet indicate that monks displaying images of Dorje are being detained by Chinese authorities.
Tulku Hungkar Dorje, the abbot of Lung Ngon Monastery in Gade county, Qinghai province, was confirmed dead on April 3, with the date of death reported as March 29 in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. He had reportedly fled Tibet eight months prior, seeking refuge from sustained Chinese government persecution due to his work promoting Tibetan language and culture.
A report in Tibetan Review stated that currently there is no clear information about the status of Tulku Hungkar Dorje’s body, which is reportedly at Vinmec Central Park International Hospital in Ho Chi Minh City. Ju Tenkyong, director of the Amnye Machen Institute, a Dharamsala-based Tibetan center for advanced studies, has said he has been monitoring developments in the case.
After abbot’s mysterious death in its custody, #China cracks down on his monastery, locals#TulkuHungkarDorjehttps://t.co/LTwCz1D4uk
— TibetanReview (@TibetanReview) April 16, 2025
According to sources who spoke to Radio Free Asia (RFA) on condition of anonymity, authorities in Golog prefecture and Gade county have imposed stringent restrictions in the wake of the abbot’s death. Lung Ngon Monastery is under round-the-clock police surveillance, and random phone inspections are being conducted on locals to suppress information sharing. Public memorial services for the revered abbot have also been forbidden.
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The sources further revealed that local Tibetans who expressed condolences or shared photos of Tulku Hungkar Dorje on social media have been summoned for questioning. “Several Tibetans have also been detained, although detailed information cannot be obtained due to the strict controls and scrutiny,” one source told RFA.
Compounding these concerns is the treatment of monks from Lung Ngon Monastery who traveled to Vietnam on April 5th to retrieve Tulku Hungkar Dorje’s body. Tibetan rights groups, citing sources familiar with the matter, reported that these monks were initially denied permission to view the body of their abbot and were excluded from meetings held at the Chinese embassy in Vietnam.
While the monks were eventually allowed to see the abbot’s face on April 10th, they were reportedly prevented from viewing the rest of his body. Ju Tenkyong, director of the Amnye Machen Institute, a Dharamsala-based Tibetan center for advanced studies, confirmed this information, stating, “on April 10, the monks were allowed to view Tulku Hungkar Dorje’s face, but were not allowed to view the rest of his body.” The current whereabouts and condition of Tulku Hungkar Dorje’s body, reportedly at Vinmec Central Park International Hospital in Ho Chi Minh City, remain unclear.
Body of Tulku Hungkar Dorje Withheld, Only Face Shown to Lung Ngon Monastery Representatives https://t.co/2nU1lAUGSO #news
— tibettruth (@tibettruth) April 15, 2025
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These restrictions on viewing the body have fueled suspicions among Tibetans and rights organizations that Chinese authorities may be attempting to conceal evidence of torture or mistreatment that could have led to the abbot’s death. They are calling for an independent investigation into the circumstances surrounding his demise, particularly given that his arrest in Vietnam was reportedly a joint operation involving Vietnamese police and Chinese government agents. The Vietnamese government has yet to publicly comment on the case.
Furthermore, sources within Tibet indicate a crackdown on displays of reverence for the deceased abbot. Monks who have displayed pictures of Dorje, a significant religious symbol, have reportedly been detained and interrogated by Chinese authorities. This action is seen as a further attempt to suppress any public expression of grief or loyalty to a figure who championed Tibetan identity.
The death of Tulku Hungkar Dorje comes against a backdrop of increasing restrictions on Tibetan language and culture in the region. The abbot himself was a renowned educator who founded several schools providing free education and promoting Tibetan heritage. These schools were reportedly shut down shortly after his disappearance last year. In a related development, a prominent school in Golog prefecture, which had been closed in July 2024, announced its reopening but without its Tibetan language and cultural departments, signaling a continued push towards cultural assimilation.
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The international community is increasingly concerned about the situation, with Tibetans across the globe holding protests and vigils demanding a thorough and transparent investigation into Tulku Hungkar Dorje’s death. The limitations placed on viewing his body and the reported detention of monks displaying his image are likely to further intensify scrutiny on China’s policies in Tibet and its extraterritorial reach.
