UN Experts Demand Answers from China on Tulku Hungkar Dorje’s Death
The United Nations human rights experts have sent a joint communication (AL CHN 15/2025) to the Chinese government, demanding accountability over the death of Tulku Hungkar Dorje, abbot of the Lung Ngon Thubten Choekor Ling monastery in Gade (Ch: Gande) county in Golok (Ch: Guoluo) Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture of Qinghai province. The communication follows the experts’ joint letter to the Vietnamese government (AL VNM 4/2025) concerning Tulku Hungkar Dorje’s arrest, disappearance, and death in custody.
The UN experts emphasized that the Chinese government has obligations under international law to prevent enforced disappearances, protect the right to life, and ensure truth and justice. They warned that failure to conduct prompt, impartial, and transparent investigations constitutes a serious violation of fundamental human rights, including standards set out in the Minnesota Protocol (2016). The experts also recalled that in 2013, China accepted a recommendation during its Universal Periodic Review (UPR) to “further guarantee the rights of life,” highlighting its prior commitment under international law to uphold the very rights violated in Tulku Hungkar’s case.
The communication demands that the Chinese government:
- Clarify any involvement in or coordination with Vietnamese authorities regarding Tulku Hungkar Dorje’s arrest and transfer.
- Provide details of investigations or inquiries following Tulku Hungkar Dorje’s death.
- Explain the cremation of Tulku Hungkar Dorje’s body without family consent.
- Confirm whether any restrictions or reprisals have been imposed on the monastery or community.
The Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy (TCHRD) welcomes this intervention, emphasizing that accountability for both Vietnam and China is essential. TCHRD reiterates its call for a fully independent investigation, transparency, and justice for Tulku Hungkar Dorje, and urges the international community to monitor both governments’ responses closely.
