Dharamshala — Tenzin Delek Rinpoche Medal of Courage awarded to Dr Gyal Lo for his tireless work in documenting the Chinese Communist Party’s assimilationist policies in Tibet, including its colonial boarding school system and restrictions on the Tibetan language. The award honours the legacy of the late Tenzin Delek Rinpoche and his tireless, non-violent struggle for Tibet.
The Swedish Tibet Committee organised an event in Stockholm, Sweden, on September 22, 2026, to present the Tenzin Delek Rinpoche Medal of Courage to Dr Gyal Lo, a renowned educationist and Tibet Specialist at the Tibet Action Institute. The ceremony awarded Dr Gyal Lo's fearless, underground fieldwork exposing China's expansion of mass colonial boarding schools aimed at assimilating Tibetan children. Attendees, including Swedish parliamentarians and diaspora members, were addressed by Dr Gyal Lo and via a video message from Nyima Lhamo—niece of the late, revered Tulku Tenzin Delek Rinpoche.
Tulku Tenzin Delek Rinpoche was a highly respected monk and influential community leader in Tibet. Known throughout Tibet for his work in building schools, orphanages and monasteries, Rinpoche was also responsible for stopping the clear-cutting of forests in Tibet. He was arrested on April 7, 2002 and convicted for his alleged involvement in a bomb explosion in the city of Chengdu, Sichuan. The Chinese authorities refused him the assistance of a lawyer of his choice, denied him access to the evidence against him and tried him in secret. After spending 13 years in a Chinese prison, during which he was severely tortured, Tulku Tenzin Delek Rinpoche sadly died in a Chinese prison on July 12, 2015.
Tulku Tenzin Delek Rinpoche once said, "Since I am a Tibetan, I have always been sincere and devoted to the interests and well-being of Tibetan people. That is the real reason why the Chinese do not like me and framed me. That is why they are going to take my precious life even though I am innocent."
The Tenzin Delek Rinpoche Medal of Courage, an annual award is given to Tibetan human rights defenders who show a deep commitment to enhancing the freedom and rights of the Tibetan people at great personal risk. The Award aims to protect such individuals through international recognition. The award honours the legacy of the late Tenzin Delek Rinpoche and his tireless, non-violent struggle for Tibet.
This year, organising groups decide to give the Tenzin Delek Rinpoche Medal of Courage to Dr Gyal Lo for his tireless work in documenting the Chinese Communist Party’s assimilationist policies in Tibet, most notably its colonial boarding school system and restrictions on the Tibetan language. Furthermore, Dr Gyal Lo has been tireless in travelling the world, addressing governments, international bodies and human rights groups about the dangers that these colonial boarding schools and pre-schools face.
"It is thanks to Dr Gyal Lo’s research and international advocacy that we know as much as we do about a system where Tibetan children are separated from their families and alienated from their own unique mother tongue and culture. And it is thanks to Dr Gyal Lo, we now have a clearer idea of the scale of this system and the effects that it has on Tibetan children, their families and on wider Tibetan society. He has given us the facts we need as a movement to challenge these dangerous policies and build international pressure for it to be brought to an end," the International Tibet Network said.
"The International Tibet Network remains committed to ending China's occupation of Tibet and restoring fundamental rights to the Tibetan people. We will continue to advocate for the release of all Tibetan political prisoners and work tirelessly to ensure that the sacrifices of individuals like Tenzin Delek Rinpoche are never forgotten," Dr Lobsang Yangtso said.
From 2016 to 2026, the International Tibet Network awarded the Tenzin Delek Rinpoche Medal of Courage to Tibetan individuals and groups, such as Tibetan prisoner Yeshe Choedon (2016), Tibetan language advocate Tashi Wangchuk (2017), Tibetan filmmakers Dhondup Wangchen and Golog Jigme (2018), Gedun Choekyi Nyima, 11th Panchen Lama of Tibet (2019), Tibetan environmentalist A-Nya Sengdra (2022), Tibetan prisoner Dorjee Tashi and his sister Gonpo kyi (2023), the Dege people, who courageously protested against the Chinese authorities' illegal construction of a dam on their territory (2024), Hungkar Dorjee Rinpoche (2025) and Dr Gyal Lo (2026).
