Tibetan NGOs Condemn China for Suspicious Death and Hasty Cremation of Tulku Hungkar, Demand International Investigation
By Tenzin Chokyi
DHARAMSALA, 21 April: A coalition of five Tibetan Political NGOs today condemned the Chinese government for the cremation of Tulku Hungkar Dorjee without his family’s consent and reiterated demands for an international investigation into the suspicious death of the Tulku while in Chinese custody in Vietnam.
The coalition – the Tibetan Youth Congress (TYC), Tibetan Women’s Association (TWA), National Democratic Party of Tibet, Students for a Free Tibet-India and the International Tibet Network (ITN) – stated today at a press conference here at the Tibetan settlement office in McLeod Ganj that the reports of the Chinese authorities cremating the body of the Tulku before conducting any inquiry further fuels suspicion of China’s involvement in the arrest and the mysterious death of the Tulku.
The prominent Tibetan Buddhist leader and the abbot of Lung Ngon Monastery in Golok, in the traditional Tibetan Province of Amdo, was reportedly executed in Ho Chi Minh City in a joint operation conducted by the Chinese and the Vietnamese governments.
Citing sources from Vietnam, Ju Tenkyong, Director of Amnye Machen Institute, said that Hungkar Rinpoche’s body was discreetly transferred from Vinmec Central Park International Hospital in Ho Chi Minh City and was cremated at 1 am, local time, on April 20.
However, disclosing that the monks from Lung Ngon Monastery were not permitted to attend, nor were they allowed to photograph or confirm the dead body, Tenkyong contended that there are still doubts as to whether the transferred body truly belongs to the Tulku.
He further added that there have been no follow-ups or contacts from the sources in Vietnam since then.
According to reports, the body was transferred from the hospital to the Long Tho Cremation Park, located near the Sakya Buddhist temple in Ho Chi Minh City.
After the cremation, it is said that the delegation of monks from Lung Ngon monastery in Tibet was brought to the temple, where Chinese officials allegedly confiscated their mobile phones, with reportedly 30 Chinese officials and 40 Vietnamese police officers present at the temple.
Given the current situation, the coalition has renewed its earlier call for a thorough and transparent investigation into the mysterious and unexplained death of the Tulku. They are also urging for his remains to be returned to his family in Tibet.
Additionally, the coalition has demanded immediate security measures and protections for the five monks from Lung Ngon Monastery, who are currently in Vietnam to recover Tulku’s body and may be at serious risk of harm or threats.
They further called on foreign governments to press the Vietnamese and Chinese governments for answers and to condemn the escalated crackdown and intensified security measures at Lung Ngon monastery. They have also urged the United Nations to establish an investigation into the possible extrajudicial execution of the Tulku.
“Their silence after our repeated appeals only reinforces the truth of our claims, and we will continue to advocate for justice in our capacity, until and unless concrete and just steps are taken by the Chinese and the Vietnamese governments,” stated Ju Tenkyong.
Sonam Tsering from TYC acknowledged that despite Tibetan NGOs’ historically strong relationship with various international bodies and organisations, the NGOs have struggled to effectively engage the international community this time, as reflected in the continued silence from the Vietnamese government.
He added that it is crucial to reflect on the shortcomings in the current approaches in order to organise more effective campaigns and to strengthen diplomatic channels.
Dr. Lobsang Yangtso from ITN said that they have reached out to the consulates of pro-Tibetan, like-minded governments in Vietnam to pressurise the Vietnamese authorities to address the issue. However, she withheld details about which specific countries are involved, citing diplomatic considerations.
