Reported and translated by Kelsang Jinpa
On August 5, 2021, the Tibetan monk Dargye, who was arrested and forcibly taken away by the Chinese police from the capital of Tibet, Lhasa, was secretly sentenced to seven years in prison according to a recent reliable source.
Photo: Tibettimes
According to verified information received from a reliable source, the Chinese government has accused monk Dargye of offering prayers and devotional offerings to His Holiness the Dalai Lama, as well as assisting a few Tibetan monks to escape from Tibet. On August 5, 2021, the Chinese government arrested and detained Dargye in Lhasa, the capital of Tibet, along with his relative Tsering and nun Choekyi. After several months, Tsering and Choekyi were released, but Dargye’s whereabouts and situation remain unknown.
Earlier in September 17, 2025, A related source told the Tibettimes “ The local people had contacted and inquired the Lhasa Police about the whereabouts and condition of the monk. In response, the police had offered assurances that Venerable Dhargye would be definitely released soon enough and that he was not facing any problems and was keeping well. Placing their hopes and faith in these deceptive assurance offered by the Chinese authorities, the related local people have not been able to highlight his critical condition to channels outside of Tibet until now.The lack of clear information available to Tibetans regarding the critical condition of Ven. Dhargye highlights the deepening crisis in Tibet, where the Chinese government continues its unchecked suppression, arbitrary detention, and enforced disappearances.”
Venerable Dhargye, now about 63 years old, hails from Serta in Walshul, Golog (Golog Tibetan Autonmous Prefecture) and is the son of Choephel and Choelha. He is a monk of Serta Sera Monastery. Prior to his arrest, he resided in Lhasa, where he took pilgrimages around the major holy Tibetan Buddhist sites and went into retreats, and received teachings from numerous Tibetan lamas. He was well known as a qualified monk, who carried out consecrations of statues, scriptures, and stupas. People trusted him for his honesty and reliability. To meet the needs of the faithful, he also ran a small shop in Lhasa where people could bring sacred objects for proper consecration.
According to The Nectar of the Wise Eyes: A New Edition of the History of Serta Walshul, the Sera Thekchen Chokhor Ling Monastery is located in Khekor Township, west of Serta County. Founded in 1736 by Awoe Lama Lobsang and Sangsang Badma Jinpa, it is one of the major monasteries that preserves and transmits the teachings of both the old and the new Buddhist traditions.
