Dharamshala — Tibetans commemorated the 11th anniversary of the passing of Tulku Tenzin Delek Rinpoche, who was assassinated by the Chinese government. They spoke about Rinpoche’s legacy and paid tribute to his bravery, highlighted Tenzin Delek Rinpoche’s contributions in the fields of education, environmental protection and social welfare; how his patriotic commitment and his work in the service of the community had become a source of growing concern for the authorities of the People’s Republic of China..
The Tulku Tenzin Delek Rinpoche Service Committee and the Tibetan Center for Human Rights and Democracy (TCHRD) organised a memorial event on July 13, 2026, at Norbu House in Dharamsala to mark the 11th anniversary of Tulku Tenzin Delek Rinpoche’s death. Rinpoche 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 included the launch of a book in English recording the evidence of his assassination.
The English translation of Nyima Lhamo’s book, titled <<No Tongues in Their Mouths: Allegations of Assassination in Tenzin Delek Rinpoche’s Death>> was launched by the Speaker of the Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile, Dolma Tsering Teykhang. Speaker Dolma Tsering Teykhang, Tenzin Dawa, Director of the TCHRD, Dorjee Rinchen, author of Tenzin Delek Rinpoche’s books, and Geshe Tsering Dorjee, a student of Tenzin Delek Rinpoche, spoke about Rinpoche’s legacy and paid tribute to his courage and bravery, as he is a true representative of Tibetans who protect the Tibetan environment, teach the Tibetan language and culture as well as Buddhism to the people. More than 50 Tibetans from the Dharamsala area participated in this event.
<<The Truth as Told by Nyima Lhamo>> original in Tibetan, told by Nyima Lhamo and written by Dorjee Rinchen, launched in 2024; the Chinese version, published in 2025, was translated by Loya, while the English version <<No Tongues in Their Mouths: Allegations of Assassination in Tenzin Delek Rinpoche’s Death>>, launched on July 13, 2026, was translated by the Tibetan writer Bhuchung Sonam.
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 world, 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.
Geshe Tsering Dorjee introduced the event by stating that yesterday was the day, Tenzin Delek Rinpoche was murdered by the Chinese authorities while serving his sentence in a Chinese prison on July 12, 2015. “Today, I wanted to remind all of you of the importance of unity among Tibetans, because those were the last words Tenzin Delek Rinpoche spoke to me as I was preparing to go into exile. We must all unite and fight for our cause; one day, we will achieve our freedom,” he said.
Author Dorjee Rinchen recounted how Tenzin Delek Rinpoche founded nine monasteries to promote Tibetan Buddhism, built schools for orphans and other children, and protected Tibet’s fragile environment and wildlife from being slaughtered. He also spoke about how the People’s Republic of China attempted to assassinate Tibetans who were influential figures in Tibetan society, such as Tulku Tenzin Delek Rinpoche, Khenchen Jigme Phuntso, and Geshe Sonam Phuntso in Karze, and how the same thing occurred in other Tibetan regions. These are repressive policies carried out by the Chinese Communist government aimed at eliminating Tibetans, along with their culture, identity, and religion.
Speaker Dolma Tsering Teykhang spoke about the courage of Tulku Tenzin Delek Rinpoche by recounting how Rinpoche had secretly met with the first fact-finding delegation from the Tibetan government-in-exile, which included Lobsang Samten, the elder brother of His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama. During this meeting, he provided first-hand accounts of the destruction of Lithang Monastery and of the severe restrictions imposed by the People’s Republic of China (PRC) on religious freedom in the region. He also explained how Tenzin Delek Rinpoche had met the 10th Panchen Lama, briefed him in detail on the situation in Lithang and consulted him on the reconstruction of the monasteries at Ngachu and Lithing counties.
The Speaker also highlighted Tenzin Delek Rinpoche’s contributions in the fields of education, environmental protection and social welfare; he further explained how his patriotic commitment and his work in the service of the community had become a source of growing concern for the authorities of the People’s Republic of China.
Nyima Lhamo, niece of Tenzin Delek Rinpoche said, "Today marks 11 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.
