Tibetan Buddhist Leader Choktrul Dorje Ten Missing Nine Months After Detention

By Tenzin Chokyi

DHARAMSALA, 22 Sept: The whereabouts and well-being of prominent Tibetan Buddhist leader and educator Choktrul Dorje Ten remain unknown more than nine months after his arbitrary detention by Chinese authorities, despite seven formal appeals submitted by his family members and students seeking information about his condition, according to the International Campaign for Tibet (ICT).

Choktrul Dorje Ten, also known as Choktrul Thubten Yeshe Nyima, was detained on or around 4 December 2025. He was the head of Minthang Osel Thegchok Chokhorling Monastery in Minthang, Golok, in Kham, one of the three traditional provinces of Tibet, and founded the Dorje Ten Ethnic Vocational School, a Tibetan-medium institution that was closed following his detention.

According to ICT, his family members and students have since submitted seven separate formal appeals to Chinese authorities requesting information about his whereabouts and physical well-being, but have received no response. A relative of Choktrul Dorje Ten, living in exile, has told ICT that the continued absence of verifiable information over the past nine months has caused serious concern among his family members and students.

The Chinese authorities’ failure to respond to the appeals has continued despite international efforts seeking information about his whereabouts and calling for his release. The UN Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances transmitted his case to the Chinese government under its urgent procedure on 16 July. The European Parliament called for his immediate release in a resolution adopted on 30 April, while Amnesty International launched an Urgent Action campaign for his release in April, according to ICT.

Following his detention, Chinese authorities also shut down several educational and cultural institutions associated with Choktrul Dorje Ten, including Nyenpo Yutse Primary School, the Mayang Lhakhar Chukmo Gesar Cultural Propagation Centre, and the Gesar Cultural Heritage Base and Mayang Chugmo Gesar Culture Training Centre, the ICT reported. 

Local authorities also reportedly barred members from discussing organisational matters, shut down related WeChat groups and placed the community under heightened surveillance and restrictions.

Born on 25 October 1967 in Akyong Khangsar, Choktrul Dorje Ten studied Nyingma Buddhist teachings under prominent masters, including Khenpo Jigme Phuntsok, and received the Khenpo title at Larung Gar Buddhist Academy in Sertar. He was also known for promoting Tibetan-language education, cultural preservation and vocational training.

ICT reported that Choktrul Dorje Ten had previously been recognised by Chinese authorities for his work in education and vocational training. His detention and the subsequent closure of institutions associated with him have drawn international concern over restrictions on Tibetan-language education and cultural activities.