Tenzin Nyidon 

DHARAMSHALA, April 17: The remains of Tulku Hungkar Dorje, a revered Tibetan Buddhist leader and abbot of Lungngon Monastery in Gade County, Golok, who died in Chinese custody while in Vietnam, will be handed over to representatives of his monastery. However, Chinese authorities have reportedly instructed that the cremation ceremony take place in Vietnam and not in his homeland of Tibet.

Speaking to Phayul, Ju Tenkyong, Director of the Amnye Machen Institute, confirmed that Rinpoche’s body remains at a hospital in Vietnam and has not yet been released to the five monastic representatives from Lungngon Monastery. According to him, Chinese officials informed the monks that Rinpoche’s body will be handed over upon the completion of specific documentation.

Moreover, strict directives have been issued concerning the cremation. The ceremony must be held in Vietnam, with attendance limited exclusively to monks from Lungngon Monastery. Any participation by members of the public is expressly prohibited, and should such a breach occur, the monks would be held solely accountable. Additionally, they were also prohibited from taking any photos or videos during the cremation ceremony.

Ju Tenkyong further disclosed that these instructions were conveyed to the monastery’s representatives by Vietnamese authorities acting under the pressure and influence of the Chinese government. Despite these constraints, the monastic delegation is currently in the process of preparing the required paperwork to facilitate the handover of Rinpoche’s body. Plans are underway to conduct the cremation at a Sakya Buddhist center in Vietnam, though specific details regarding the timing and logistics remain confidential.

According to Ju Tenkyong, the five monastic representatives from Lungngon Monastery, who were summoned by Chinese authorities to Vietnam on April 5— were only permitted to view Rinpoche’s face on April 10. 

Tulku Hungkar Dorje, the revered lama reportedly fled to Vietnam in late September 2024 after enduring prolonged interrogations by Chinese authorities. On March 25, 2025, he was apprehended from his hotel room in Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City) in a joint operation conducted by Vietnamese police and Chinese intelligence operatives. He was transferred three days later to a local public security bureau, where he reportedly died under mysterious circumstances the same day.