Peacefully defending Tibetan language, culture and religion is increasingly treated as a threat to China’s “ethnic unity”. Take action now and demand the release of Tibetan religious leader Choktrul Dorje Ten Rinpoche.
For decades, Tibetans have lived under these policies. But on 1 July 2026, China took a significant step further. Its new “Ethnic Unity and Progress Law” gave legal backing to decades of policies that have systematically restricted Tibetans’ rights to learn their language, practise their religion and preserve their culture. In effect, it institutionalises China’s policies of forced assimilation in Tibet.
This is why Choktrul Dorje Ten Rinpoche’s case matters.
A respected Tibetan Buddhist teacher and educator, Choktrul Dorje Ten Rinpoche founded a monastery and a vocational school in Golog, eastern Tibet (today part of Qinghai Province, China). It grew into one of the largest vocational schools in the region. He is widely respected for his work promoting Tibetan language, culture and education.
Authorities reportedly detained him on or around 4 December 2025. His whereabouts remain unknown.
Chinese authorities have not disclosed where he is being held, the legal basis for his detention, or whether he has access to a lawyer of his choosing or contact with his family. Reports also indicate that local authorities have warned people not to discuss his case.
“What’s changed with the new law is that these practices are no longer driven only by policy or political campaigns. It embeds them in national law, giving the Chinese government even greater powers to suppress Tibetan identity.” Kyinzom Dhongdue, Tibetan advocate and Strategy & Advocacy Manager, Amnesty International Australia
Since his reported detention, the only information about his status has been unofficial reports that he is “under investigation”. In China, this term is often used to describe the criminal investigation phase, during which people can be held for extended periods with little or no access to lawyers or family members. Amnesty International has documented numerous cases of human rights defenders and other detainees being held incommunicado during this period, placing them at heightened risk of torture and other ill-treatment.
His case is part of a broader pattern. Over many years, Amnesty International has documented the persecution of Tibetan religious leaders, educators and language advocates, including Tenzin Delek Rinpoche, Rinchen Tsultrim and Tashi Wangchuk. Authorities have increasingly restricted Tibetan-language education, tightened control over religious practice and expanded ideological education centred on Mandarin Chinese and political loyalty. Peaceful efforts to preserve Tibetan language, culture and identity have come under growing scrutiny and repression.
