Dharamsala, April 9: The Central Tibetan Administration (CTA), the Tibetan government-in-exile, has strongly condemned the sudden and bizarre death of prominent Tibetan Buddhist figure Tulku Hongkha Dorje while in Chinese custody in Vietnam. The CTA issued the condemnation at a press conference held at the Lhakpa Tsering Hall of the Tibetan Information and International Relations Department on Tuesday.
At the press conference, Truc Dan Quynh, director of the Animachen Institute, revealed that on March 25, 2025, Vietnamese police and Chinese intelligence agents arrested Tulku Hongkha Dorje in a hotel room in Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City). On March 28, he was transferred to the local public security bureau where he died of unknown causes on the same day.
Truc Dan Quynh further confirmed that the body of the late Buddhist leader was allegedly lying at Vinmec Central Park International Hospital in Ho Chi Minh City. On April 1, the administrative office of Longgong Monastery (Hongkha Rinpoche’s ashram in Tibet) was summoned to collect his death certificate. However, the monastery representatives were prohibited from retaining the document or taking photos.
On April 5, five monks from Rongkung Monastery, accompanied by a Chinese government delegation, traveled to Vietnam to claim his remains. On the same day, the Chinese Embassy in Vietnam held a meeting attended only by Chinese officials, while the Tibetan delegation was denied entry. It is unclear whether the Tibetan delegation will be able to view or claim the remains. Meanwhile, the hospital is under tight security, with military guards and restricted access.
Central Tibetan Administration Spokesperson Tenzin Lekhe called on the international community to condemn the unexplained death of Tulku Hongkha Dorje and demanded full transparency from the Chinese and Vietnamese authorities regarding his detention and death. He stressed that the remains of the living Buddha must be immediately returned to Rongkung Monastery for a solemn funeral in accordance with Tibetan Buddhist customs.
The spokesperson stressed that the highly suspicious circumstances surrounding Tulku Hongkha Dorje’s death outside Tibet reflect a deeply disturbing trend in China’s persecution of influential Tibetans dedicated to preserving the Tibetan language, culture and identity. He further stressed that this case is a classic example of China’s expanding crackdown on basic human rights inside and outside Tibet.
Last year, the Chinese Communist Party forced Tulku Hongkar Rinpoche to host the Beijing-appointed Panchen Lama, Gyaltsen Norbu, at his monastery—a move he reportedly did not wholeheartedly comply with. In August 2024, he was subjected to intense interrogation by senior officials in Qinghai Province. Authorities forcibly took his fingerprints and accused him of writing a longevity prayer for the Dalai Lama and failing to implement state policy through educational activities in Golok, Amdo Prefecture. These developments culminated in his disappearance in late September 2024 and his eventual exile in Vietnam.
Living Buddha Hongkar Dorje was born in 1969 in Gadek County, Golok Prefecture, the son of Lama Pema Tunza Dorje and Kaza Duga Doma. He received his early monastic education at Longgong Monastery between 1980 and 1989, studying Buddhist texts and traditional Tibetan philosophy. Later, he sought spiritual and academic advancement in exile, studying at Drepung Monastery in India (1989-1994) and in the United States (1995-1997). In 2002, the Chinese authorities officially recognized him as the 10th Living Buddha of Longgong Monastery. From 2004 to 2006, he also completed specialized studies in Buddhist philosophy in Beijing.
