Tenzin Nyidon
DHARAMSHALA, April 14: Around 20 Tibetan youth activists from Students for a Free Tibet–India staged a protest outside the Vietnamese Embassy in New Delhi on Monday, demanding a transparent and independent investigation into the suspicious death of prominent Tibetan religious leader Tulku Hungkar Dorje while in Chinese custody in Vietnam. The protest spotlighted growing concerns over the unexplained circumstances of the prominent Tibetan Buddhist leader’s death, with a banner reading: “RELEASE THE BODY, REVEAL THE TRUTH – #JusticeForTulkuHungkarDorje.”
The demonstrators held placards calling for justice, denouncing Chinese authorities for concealing the truth, and urging international scrutiny. In a striking display, one protester wore a mask of Chinese President Xi Jinping with hands stained red, symbolizing blood, standing beside a bloodied sheet, representing the body of the revered Lama.
Speaking to Phayul, Tenzin Choetso, SFT-Delhi’s Outreach Officer, confirmed that four protesters were detained for six hours at Chanakyapuri Police Station. Protesters were not permitted to meet embassy officials but managed to submit an appeal letter through a window at the gate. The letter laid out four core demands, calling for a prompt, transparent, and independent investigation into Rinpoche’s detention and death, with full disclosure of findings; to immediately release his body for an independent autopsy in accordance with international standards; continuous communication with Rinpoche’s family throughout the investigation; and to return his body for traditional Tibetan funeral rites following the investigation.
The protest aligns with Chinese President Xi Jinping’s state visit to Vietnam from April 14 to 15, commemorating the 75th anniversary of diplomatic ties between the two communist nations. Tibetans in exile across the globe have also mobilized in protest, voicing profound concern over the timing of the visit. Many fear that the scheduled high-level diplomatic engagement may compromise or overshadow any prospective investigation into the death of Tulku Hungkar, as political interests and bilateral relations between China and Vietnam could take precedence over justice and transparency.
Tulku Hungkar Dorje, the abbot of Lungngon Monastery in Gade County, Golok, Tibet, is currently being held at Vinmec Central Park International Hospital in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. According to a report by Tibet Times released today, five monastic representatives from Lungngon Monastery, who were summoned by Chinese authorities to collect his body on April 5, were only permitted to view his face. The rest of the remains were not released.
The revered lama reportedly fled to Vietnam in late September 2024 after enduring a series of interrogations by Chinese authorities. On March 25, 2025, he was detained from his hotel room in Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City) in a joint operation involving Vietnamese police and Chinese intelligence. He was transferred three days later to a local public security bureau, where he reportedly died under mysterious circumstances the same day.
