Tenzin Nyidon
DHARAMSHALA, Oct. 13: The late Tulku Hungkar Dorjee, revered abbot of Lung Ngon Thubten Choekor Ling Monastery in Golog, Amdo, eastern Tibet, was posthumously honoured with the 2025 ‘Tenzin Delek Rinpoche Medal of Courage’ on Monday. The award recognized his lifelong commitment to preserving Tibetan identity and culture under the oppressive Chinese regime that ultimately led to his death in late March in Ho Chi Minh City in a covert operation involving Vietnamese police and Chinese agents.
Khenpo Ju Tenkyong, Director of the Amnye Machen Institute and the primary source who first revealed details surrounding the sudden death and the handling of the late Buddhist leader’s remains, accepted the award on behalf of Tulku’s family.
In his acceptance remarks, Khenpo said that following Rinpoche’s mysterious death in Vietnam, Chinese authorities have imposed tight restrictions across the region once under his influence. He added that the current condition and whereabouts of Tulku Hungkar Dorjee’s family members remain unknown.
Gyari Dolma, Minister of the Department of Security of the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA), served as the chief guest at the event. In her address, she drew a poignant parallel between Tenzin Delek Rinpoche, who died in Chinese custody, and Tulku Hungkar Dorjee Rinpoche, who lost his life on foreign soil, she noted, of China’s expanding transnational repression, now marked by increasingly destructive methods.
She emphasized that Tulku Hungkar Dorjee’s death stemmed from a single cause, his unwavering refusal to comply with the demands and directives of Chinese officials. Highlighting the worsening situation inside Tibet, the minister emphasised how the flow of information has become ever more restricted, effectively sealing the region off from the outside world. She cautioned that when information does surface, utmost care must be taken to protect the informants and sources before any details are made public.
The award ceremony was organized by the International Tibet Network (ITN) in collaboration with four major Tibetan NGOs— the Tibetan Youth Congress (TYC), Tibetan Women’s Association (TWA), National Democratic Party of Tibet (NDPT), and Students for a Free Tibet (SFT). The event took place at the Tibetan Welfare Office Hall in McLeod Ganj, Dharamshala.
The circumstances surrounding Tulku Hungkar Dorjee’s death and the hasty cremation of his body have sparked widespread concern, prompting EU lawmakers and UN rights experts to call for a transparent and independent investigation through official communication letters addressed to the Vietnamese and Chinese authorities. However, these communications have so far gone unanswered, with neither government providing clarification or acknowledging the appeals, deepening suspicions of state involvement and attempts to conceal the truth behind his death.
The ‘Tenzin Delek Rinpoche Medal of Courage’, presented annually on the anniversary of his passing, serves to honour the enduring legacy and moral courage of Tenzin Delek Rinpoche. The award seeks to recognise Tibetan human rights defenders who exhibit an unwavering commitment to advancing the freedom and fundamental rights of the Tibetan people, often at great personal sacrifice.
Over the years, the medal has been conferred upon individuals and groups who embody this spirit of resilience and non-violent resistance, among them are imprisoned retired physician Yeshi Choedron (2016), Tibetan language rights advocate Tashi Wangchuk (2017), filmmakers Dhondup Wangchen and Golog Jigme (2018), the 11th Panchen Lama, Gedhun Choekyi Nyima (2019), environmental activist A-Nya Sengdra (2022), imprisoned businessman Dorjee Tashi and his sister Gonpo Kyi (2023), and the Dege protestors who protested against the Kamtok hydropower project (2024).
