Tibetan religious leader disappeared
Choktrul Dorje Ten Rinpoche, a Tibetan religious and education leader, has been missing since December 2025 after he was reportedly taken into custody by authorities in Qinghai province, China. Since then, there has been almost no information about his fate or whereabouts. The authorities should urgently disclose his location, ensure his rights are protected, and release him unless there is sufficient credible evidence of a recognizable criminal offence.
Choktrul Dorje Ten Rinpoche is a Tibetan religious and education leader from Chikdril (Jiuzhi) County in Golog Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Qinghai province. Born in 1967, he is recognized as a reincarnate lama (Rinpoche) and has long played an important role in local religious and community life. He founded and led a monastery in Mentang Township and established a vocational training school around 2010, which provided education in Tibetan language, culture and vocational skills.
The school offered both general subjects and specialised training, including Tibetan language, traditional arts, medicine and cultural practices. According to publicly available information, it grew into one of the largest vocational schools of its kind in the region, at one point enrolling over 800 students and graduating in total several thousand, many of whom went on to positions in higher education or employment. The school’s work was known to and supported by local officials, including inspections as evidenced by state media reports and in at least one instance financial assistance via a cultural heritage project backed by a public bank and a state-linked development foundation. As recently as early November 2025, local government departments conducted inspections at the school, indicating that it remained operational shortly before his reported detention. The school was reportedly closed following his disappearance, and students were sent home.
In addition to his religious and educational work, Choktrul Dorje Ten Rinpoche was active in local public structures, including as a member of the county-level political consultative system and in roles linked to the local people’s congress. He also supported local livelihoods, including through business activities, and was widely regarded as a community leader who provided financial and social support to families in need.
Since his presumed detention in December 2025, the only news of Choktrul Dorje Ten Rinpoche’s status are limited word-of-mouth reports that he was «under investigation». In China, such terminology has often been used to refer to detention under the criminal investigation phase – prior to the procuratorate approving criminal detention or filing an indictment. Amnesty has documented dozens of cases of human rights defenders and others in China being held incommunicado for extended periods while «under investigation» without formal charge or access to legal representation.
Access to information from Tibetan-populated areas remains highly restricted, particularly for journalists, researchers and human rights organisations, making it difficult to independently verify cases of detention and disappearance. Over the years, Amnesty International has documented a number of cases, such as those of Tibetan religious leader Tenzin Delek Rinpoche, monk Rinchen Tsultrim and language activist Tashi Wangchuk, involving limited access to counsel, lack of transparency and other fair trial concerns.
In recent years, authorities in Tibetan areas – despite their nominal «autonomous» designation - have imposed increasing restrictions on Tibetan-language education and religious practices. Educational and cultural initiatives that promote Tibetan language and identity have faced heightened scrutiny and control. Religious leaders and educators have also been subject to surveillance, restrictions and, in some cases, detention, as part of broader state policies promoting «ethnic unity» and a unified national identity, alongside expanded ideological education and increased emphasis on Mandarin Chinese as the primary language of instruction. These measures have further narrowed the space for cultural and religious expression and reinforced state control over Tibetan Buddhist practices.
International human rights bodies have repeatedly expressed concern about the situation in Tibet and other regions of China. In his February 2026 update to the Human Rights Council, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights noted the lack of progress in implementing previous recommendations concerning the rights of Tibetans and other affected communities.
Please take action before 15 October 2026.
You'll find all necessary adddress- and social media information above. English model letter as a word-file
