Reported By Palden
Edited By Pema Tso
Translated By TenGyal
The Chinese authorities have surrounded and continue to impose restrictions on the late His Eminence Choktrul Hung Kar Dorje Rinpoche’s Lung Ngon Monastery.
From March 27th to 30th, as the funeral rituals and prayer congregation are being carried out for the late His Eminence Choktrul Hungkar Dorje Rinpoche at the Lung Ngon Monastery in Gade County, Golog, Chinese police and military personnel have surrounded the monastery complex and continue to intensely restrict the movement and activities of the local Tibetans. Furthermore, on March 27th, the Chinese authorities arrested Venerable Ugyen Jangchup without providing any clear reasons. Even though he was later released at midnight, he was subjected to inhumane physical beatings while being detained at the Gade County police station and issued directives to come to the local detention centre after three days. Due to the ongoing restrictions, no clear information is available.
On the first day of the funeral rites and prayer services, Chinese police intervened, forcefully ordering the removal of all English-language tribute posters and signboards dedicated to the late Rinpoche. Additionally, they demanded the immediate take-down of all Buddhist aphorisms and sacred inscriptions displayed around the doorways. The Chinese authorities continue to issue strict directives prohibiting the monks of the monastery and local Tibetans from sharing and publicising images and videos on the internet, while subjecting them to intense harassment. A Tibetan source, related to the incident, informed this Tibet Times correspondent, “ Currently, I am more afraid to live than to die! This time, the Chinese government has caused us great trouble!”
Yet another Tibetan source went on to state, “ Venerable Ugyen Jangchub was forcefully abducted and was slapped and subjected to physical beatings. Besides that, many of his personal belongings in his quarters were destroyed. His phone and computer were forcibly confiscated and searched. Authorities also confiscated a portrait of His Holiness the Dalai Lama that Ven. Ugyen had been keeping. There is a growing concern about his safety and condition because the authorities claim that they carried out a thorough search of both the interior and exterior of his monastic quarters and that he will be at least detained for a month or potentially even longer.”
The Chinese government accused the late His Eminence Hungkar Dorje Rinpoche of failure to provide an elaborate welcome reception to the Chinese state-appointed Panchen Lama, Gyaltsen Norbu, who was visiting the Golog region in August, 2024. The authorities also levied accusations of inciting trouble against Rinpoche for establishing numerous monasteries and schools and advocating for the rights of the poor. Following such persistent harassment, he disappeared for a period of time. On March 28, 2025, the Chinese government informed key figures at Lungngon Monastery in Gade County, Golog, that Rinpoche had passed away at Vinmec Central Park International Hospital in Vietnam, though no clear explanation was provided. Subsequently, five monks representing the monastery travelled to Vietnam to investigate; however, on the afternoon of April 10, they were permitted to see only Rinpoche’s face. The representatives’ movements and activities were strictly controlled to prevent any information from leaking out. On April 20 of that year, his remains were secretly cremated in Vietnam.
H.E. Tulku Hungkar Dorje was the son of the renowned Tulku Pema Thumpo, founder of Lungngon Monastery in Tibet. In 2004, he established the Tsongon Gesar Philanthropic Foundation, dedicating himself to preserving Gesar‘s cultural heritage. With the formal approval of the Golog Prefecture government and education department in 2007, he founded the Hungkar Dorje National Vocational High School, which today supports approximately 1,000 students and staff. Furthermore, he established around 14 primary and secondary schools offering free education to thousands of children from Tibet’s rural and nomadic regions. By also constructing numerous monasteries and monastic institutes, he made profound contributions to the revitalisation of Tibetan religion, culture, and language—endeavours that drew repeated political accusations from Chinese authorities.
