Dharamshala — Students of the late Tulku Tenzin Delek Rinpoche, leaders of Tibetan NGOs and other Tibetans commemorated the 10th anniversary of the death of Tulku Tenzin Delek Rinpoche, who sacrificed his life to protect Tibetan religion, culture, language and environment.
The Tulku Tenzin Delek Rinpoche Service Committee organized an event to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the death of Tulku Tenzin Delek Rinpoche, who was murdered by Chinese authorities on July 12, 2015 in a Chinese prison, for fear of his influence on Tibetan society and for courageously protecting Tibetan religion, culture, language and environment.
The event took place in the hall of the Tibetan Settlement Office, Mcleod Ganj, Dharamshala, on July 12, 2025, and they also organised a talk on the legacy of Tulku Tenzin Delek Rinpoche and other Tibetans who courageously defended their nation, religion, culture and environment and who were unjustly arrested, imprisoned and even murdered in Chinese guards and prisons by the Chinese authorities.
The speakers were Dukthen Kyi, UN, EU and Human Rights Desk at the Department of Information & International Relations, Central Tibetan Administration, Dr Lobsang Yangtso, International Tibet Network, Tsering Dolma, President of Tibetan Women Association, Tashi Dharjee, Vice-President of Tibetan Youth Congress, Ngawang Choedon, Representative of Students for a Free Tibet, Tsering Dorjee, President of the Tulku Tenzin Delek Rinpoche Service Committee, Tenzin Dawa, President of Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy, and Hirofumi Kameda, CEO at « Dream for Children ».
They all recounted how Tenzin Delek Rinpoche was a faithful disciple of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, how he promoted his teachings among Tibetans in Tibet and put them into practice, and how Rinpoche built nine monasteries to promote Tibetan Buddhism, built schools for orphans and other children, protected trees from being felled by the Chinese authorities and wild animals from being slaughtered, and so on.
They also launched a Chinese version of <<The Truth Told by Nyima Lhamo>>, translated by Loya. The Tibetan version was launched this time last year and the English version is release soon.
The book is about how Tenzin Delek Rinpoche was arrested without any crime, how he suffered in the Chinese prison, how his students and local Tibetans pleaded for his release, how the Chinese authorities shot at peaceful followers and demonstrators, how Tibetans were beaten and arrested by the Chinese authorities and, finally, how he was murdered by the Chinese, and how the Chinese authorities refused to return Rinpoche's body to his family because they feared that the cause of death would become known to the people, how Rinpoche's niece Nyima Lhamo and other Tibetans were detained and tortured, how she tried to immolate herself in front of the Chinese prison etc.
Nyima Lhamo said, "Today marks ten years since the tragic and unjust death of Tulku Tenzin Delek Rinpoche, a revered Tibetan lama, educator, environmentalist, and cultural leader who died under suspicious circumstances after 13 years of imprisonment and relentless torture at the hands of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP)."
"His only “crime” was his unwavering commitment to preserving Tibetan religion, identity, and human rights — values that the CCP considers a threat to its authoritarian rule. The CCP feared Rinpoche’s popularity, moral authority, and influence among Tibetans, and thus silenced him through violence and oppression," she added.
"For over a decade, our family, relatives, and his countless students have been subjected to surveillance, harassment, and systemic denial of our most basic rights. The CCP continues to criminalize devotion, culture, and truth, while branding Tibetan spiritual leaders and community builders as “dangerous” simply for teaching peace, defending the environment, and promoting cultural survival," Nyima Lhamo mentioned.
"In 2016, as I stood before the body of Rinpoche, I made a promise — I will dedicate my life to clearing his name and telling the truth that the CCP wants to erase. That promise remains unbroken," She declared.
146 Tibet support groups have issued a joint statement to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the death of Tenzin Delek Rinpoche, it states," Ten years ago, on 12 July 2015, the world lost a beacon of hope and a champion of nonviolent resistance when Tenzin Delek Rinpoche died under deeply suspicious circumstances in Chinese custody."
"After suffering for 13 years in a Chinese prison for a crime he did not commit, his untimely passing serves as a stark reminder of China’s brutal occupation of Tibet and its relentless assault on the fundamental human rights of the Tibetan people," it continued.
The statement said, "Tenzin Delek Rinpoche dedicated his life to preserving the unique Tibetan identity and culture, all while enduring extraordinarily harsh and difficult circumstances under China’s oppressive and illegal occupation of Tibet."
"His profound influence and leadership were perceived as a direct threat by Chinese authorities, who subjected him to over a decade of relentless harassment, intimidation and persecution. Despite this, he remained steadfast in his pursuit of freedom and justice for his people, embodying an unwavering bravery that continues to inspire us all," they said.
