Reported by Palden
Edited by Kelsang Jinpa
Translated by TenGyal
The Chinese authorities have arrested more than twenty villagers, including Khenpo Tenpa Dhargye from Ponkor Village in Golog. Gonpo Namgyal, a village leader, is reported to have been killed after being subjected to severe beatings and electrocution.
Khenpo Tenpa Dhargye, who hails from Ponkar Village, Dharlag County in Golog, was very close to the late His Holiness Khenchen Jigme Phuntsok of Larung Gar. Khenpo Dhargye had been leading a very active Tibetan Language group for promoting and perserving Tibetan Language”. Due to the group’s active role in the area, in May this year, twenty villagers, including Khenpo Tenpa Dhargye and village leader Gonpo Namgyal, were arrested from Dharlag County and detained in Golog.
On December 18th, it was reported that Gonpo Namgyal, the village leader, passed away after being subjected to frequent and severe beatings and electrocution. His body was cremated at the cemetery of Thraling Monastery.
Following these reports, the faithful devotees are growing concerned about Khenpo Tenpa Dhargye’s health and safety.
According to a reliable source in Tibet, Khenpo Tenpa Dhargye is a trusted and close associate of the late Khenchen Jigme Phuntsok of Larung Gar. In recent years, under his leadership, the Tibetan language group has conducted extensive “Pure Mother Tongue” activism that has significantly benefited the region. Khenpo Dhargye is widely known for addressing large gatherings of nomadic families, often urging them not to send their livestock to slaughterhouses. However, his activism has drawn the ire of Chinese authorities. He was recently summoned to a meeting and subsequently arrested in Dharlag County, Golog. The source reported growing concern among his devoted followers, who remain in the dark about his current health and well-being.
The source went on to describe that in the last seven months, the twenty villagers, including Khenpo Dhargye and Gonpo Namgyal, continued to be held in detention by the Chinese authorities. Gonpo Namgyal returned home but, unfortunately, passed away three days after his release on December 18th. When they were preparing the corpse for cremation, it was learned that Gonpo Namgyal had suffered internal burns and damages due to being subjected to frequent and severe beatings and electrocution.
The source, speaking amidst plaintive sobs, said, “The Khenpo is an extraordinary individual who unwaveringly upholds and embodies the Dharma. In response, devoted followers from various regions are reciting the Accumulation of Merit for the Protection of Body prayers, seeking his good health and swift release. Additionally, they continue urging monks to offer similar prayers on his behalf.”
