Tsering Dhundup
DHARAMSHALA, April, 19: Five major Tibetan NGOs led protests in Dharamshala on Friday, demanding justice for Tibetan Buddhist leader Tulku Hungkar Dorje, who died under suspicious circumstances while in custody of Chinese and Vietnamese authorities in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, in late March.
The 56-year-old respected religious figure had reportedly fled Tibet in September 2024 after enduring prolonged interrogations by Chinese authorities. On March 25, 2025, he was apprehended from his hotel room in Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City) in a joint operation conducted by Vietnamese police and Chinese intelligence operatives. He was transferred three days later to a local public security bureau, where he reportedly died under mysterious circumstances the same day.
Protesters are urging immediate international intervention amid reports that authorities are preparing for an imminent cremation of Tulku Hungkar Dorje’s body – a move that activists say would destroy crucial evidence.
“We are now in a race against time,” said Dr Lobsang Yangtso of the International Tibet Network. “Sources confirm that Chinese officials are actively preparing for Tulku Hungkar Dorje’s cremation in Vietnam—with strict conditions: no photos, no videos, and no public. We are urging governments to act immediately—diplomatic statements are not enough.”
According to Ju Tenkyong, Director of the Amnye Machen Institute, Chinese officials from Tibet and the Chinese Embassy in Vietnam have instructed monks from Lung-Ngon Monastery to prepare for the cremation, pending completion of paperwork, with specific conditions restricting documentation and attendance.
The timing of these developments is particularly significant, coming shortly after Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit to Vietnam. Activists describe the situation as “blatant transnational repression orchestrated by Beijing to cover up the silencing of a Tibetan leader.” Vietnamese authorities have attributed the death to a heart attack, but Tibetan groups challenge this explanation, citing the denial of family access to the body and absence of official documentation as evidence of a cover-up.
“Around the world, Tibetans are fearing the worst: that Tulku Hungkar Dorje was abducted, tortured, and killed by Chinese agents for his efforts to preserve Tibetan culture, language, and religion,” said Tenzin Lekdhen of Students for a Free Tibet-India.
Sonam Tsering from the Tibetan Youth Congress added, “The news of the imminent cremation is a chilling escalation. Both the Vietnamese government and the Chinese Communist regime must be held directly responsible for ensuring the preservation of Tulku Hungkar’s remains.”
Reports also indicate an intensified security crackdown at Tulku Hungkar Dorje’s monastery in Golog, Tibet, with increased surveillance, restricted movement, and intimidation of monks and laypeople. The coalition of Tibetan organisations is calling for international intervention to halt the cremation, preserve evidence, and launch an independent investigation into the circumstances surrounding the religious leader’s death.
Hunkar Dorje Rinpoche was a Tibetan spiritual leader, writer and educator. He was a deeply committed advocate of the Tibetan language and culture and was well-known for his calligraphy skills. He is the author of over 20 texts, including The Melodious Sound of the Laughter of the Vidyadharas of the Three Lineages and Tangkas In Golog: The Tangka Album of Lung-ngon Monastery. Many of his works have been translated into Vietnamese. He had also established a network of government-approved schools that sought to use education as a means to preserve and promote Tibetan culture and language.
