16 April – The suspicious death of Tibetan leader, Tulku Hungkar Dorje, who died under opaque circumstances in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, in late March 2025, has reached a critical juncture, including concerns about China’s transnational repression.

With the Chinese President Xi Jinping having left Vietnam after a two-day state visit, a grave new threat has emerged: the imminent cremation of Tulku Hungkar Dorje without any independent investigation into his sudden death. This action risks the permanent destruction of vital evidence and is seen by many as a deliberate attempt to obstruct justice. With no independent investigation known to have been initiated before Xi’s departure, concern is deepening about transnational repression orchestrated by Beijing to silence a key Tibetan leader beyond its borders, further highlighting the urgent need for international scrutiny and accountability.

Simultaneously, alarming reports of an escalated crackdown at his monastery in Golog, Tibet, including heavy surveillance and restrictions on monks and local residents, have fueled global outrage and demands for immediate international intervention. This alarming development coincides with deeply concerning reports of an escalated crackdown and intensified security measures in the local area of his monastery in Golog, Tibet, further fueling global outrage and demands for immediate international intervention.

Tulku Hungkar Dorje, 56, had reportedly escaped into exile in Vietnam after facing relentless persecution from Chinese authorities in Tibet for his unwavering commitment to preserving Tibetan language and cultural identity. Shockingly, credible sources indicate his arrest in Ho Chi Minh City on 25 March in an operation allegedly involving both Vietnamese police and Chinese agents. He died just days later while reportedly in custody. The Vietnamese authorities’ unsubstantiated claim of a heart attack, the denial of family access to his body, and the complete absence of official documentation reek of a deliberate cover-up. Meanwhile, in Golog, Tibet, eyewitness accounts detail an immediate and intense crackdown at his monastery — surveillance has spiked, movement is heavily restricted, and monks and laypeople face ongoing intimidation.

The global Tibet movement is mobilising with mass advocacy efforts and urgent protests to demand immediate action and justice for Tulku Hungkar Dorje. The potential destruction of evidence through a hasty cremation of his body only intensifies the resolve to seek justice and accountability.

Ju Tenkyong, Director of the Amnye Machen Institute, said: “This is not just about one Tibetan lama; this is a fight against the systematic erasure of Tibetan identity and the weaponisation of fear. Tulku Hungkar Dorje stood for everything China fears: a Tibetan who educated and empowered countless people. If the world remains quiet, it sends a message that some lives and some truths simply don’t matter. We’re calling on every government to take action as the time to make statements has passed. We need concrete actions to make sure Rinpoche is remembered and protected.”

Tenzin Yangzom, International Tibet Network, stated: “As a Tibetan in exile, I’ve long witnessed how little influence we have inside Tibet. The Chinese government controls absolutely everything. But the fact is—these very events are unfolding before our eyes outside of our homeland. This shows the extent of China’s long arm and just how far they will go to erase our leaders. We cannot let them succeed, not this time. The international community must act immediately to stop any cremation and demand an independent investigation before vital evidence is irrevocably lost!”

Topjor Tsultrim, Students for a Free Tibet, added: “The echoes of past injustices scream out in this moment. The threat to cremate Rinpoche’s body right after Xi Jinping’s visit is no coincidence. It suggests a coordinated effort to eliminate all traces of wrongdoing. The escalated crackdown in Tibet underscores the PRC’s fear of legitimate, authentic Tibetan leadership. The international community must not be complicit through silence. We demand immediate intervention to protect the evidence and hold those responsible accountable.”

Tenzin Choekyi, Tibet Watch, said: “For the first time since China’s invasion of Tibet, China tracked down and detained a Tibetan, a Tibetan Buddhist leader outside its national borders, and suddenly declared in Tibet that he died in that foreign country. Never before have Tibetans seen China’s transnational repression reach this far. China has now shown the world what Xi Jinping means by “Telling China’s story well” for a “Living Buddha”- a misleading and patronising term that His Holiness the Dalai Lama strongly rejects, but China uses to control the future of Tibetan Buddhism and Buddhist leaders.”

Tibetans and Tibet supporters urgently implore the international community to: • Demand the immediate preservation of Tulku Hungkar Dorje’s remains and explicitly condemn any actions towards immediate cremation. • Launch a full, independent, and transparent international investigation into the circumstances surrounding his death. • Unequivocally condemn the escalated crackdown and intensified security measures at Tulku Hungkar Dorje’s monastery in Tibet and demand an immediate end to these repressive actions. • Exert maximum diplomatic pressure on the Vietnamese government to ensure the preservation of evidence and cooperate fully with an international investigation. • Hold China accountable for its ongoing persecution of Tibetan leaders and its potential involvement in Tulku Hungkar Dorje’s death. • Act now before crucial evidence is lost and justice is denied.

The international community stands at a critical juncture. Failure to act decisively now will not only deny justice to Tulku Hungkar Dorje and his community but will also set a dangerous precedent, emboldening further repression and undermining the very foundations of international law and human rights.

CONTACTS: Tenzin Choekyi, Tibet Watch, choekyi@tibetwatch.org Mandie McKeown, International Tibet Network mandie@tibetnetwork.org Topjor Tsultrim, Students for a Free Tibet topjortsultrim@studentsforafreetibet.org