Tibetan Monk’s Suicide Linked to China’s Detention Torture, Subsequent Restrictions
By Tsering Choephel
DHARAMSALA, 17 April: A Tibetan monk in Tibet had committed suicide on 25 May last year following his release from detention by the Chinese authorities, reported Tibet Times yesterday.
The monk, named Tenzin Dorjee, from Shelkar Monastery in Toe Dingri, Tibet, was arrested and detained by Chinese police in May 2023 for preaching His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s teachings to fellow Tibetans in the area. According to the report, Chinese authorities interrogated and tortured him during his detention.
A source related to the monk in exile has told Tibet Times that following his release, Tenzin Dorjee was forbidden to engage in any religious activities and was placed under routine surveillance by Chinese authorities.
According to the report, Tenzin Dorjee took his own life at his residence upon his release by the Chinese police on 25 May 2023.
The death of Tenzin Dorjee, who was about fifty years old at the time, reportedly plunged his mother, Lhamo Norkyi, into prolonged grief, leading to her mental instability. She is currently receiving treatment at a hospital in Lhasa.
Due to the high restrictions imposed by Chinese authorities in Tibet and the associated risks in disseminating information outside the region, news from Tibet often surfaces late, with much remaining unknown.
