PROFILES IN COURAGE: DAY 22 – FEBRUARY 17TH

Tenzin Delek Rinpoche
Age: 58
Revered Buddhist teacher and social reformer; Sentenced to live imprisonment

“Since I am a Tibetan, I have always been sincere and devoted to the interests and well-being of Tibetan people. That is the real reason why the Chinese do not like me and framed me. That is why they are going to take my precious life even though I am innocent.” –Tenzin Delek Rinpoche, in a statement smuggled out of prison that was published on Radio Free Asia Jan 21, 2003

Tenzin Delek Rinpoche, is a revered religious leader from Lithang, eastern Tibet. He is a visionary and steadfast advocate of Tibetan identity and culture. For years, he worked to develop social, medical, educational and religious institutions for Tibetan nomads. He oversaw the building of Tibetan nunneries and was a strong proponent of religious education for both men and women. Tenzin Delek was also an environmental leader and worked to stop indiscriminate logging and mining projects in eastern Tibet.

Because of Tenzin Delek Rinpoche’s popularity amongst both Tibetans and Chinese and his efforts to preserve Tibetan identity, the Chinese authorities viewed him as a threat to their control in the region. Over the course of a decade, he was the target of increasing harassment and intimidation by Chinese officials.

Tenzin Delek first came under close Chinese government scrutiny after he  returned from religious studies in exile in India, where he had been recognized by the Dalai Lama as a reincarnated religious teacher. He studied at Drepung monastery in the Tibetan refugee camp of Mundgod in Karnataka State, south India, from 1982 to 1987.

Upon his return to the Nyagchu area in Lithang, Chinese authorities began obstructing his social and religious development efforts, but he was undeterred. When faced with government objections to his construction of Jamyang Choekhor Ling, a new monastery in his home area, Tenzin Delek traveled to Beijing and obtained official permission from the 10th Panchen Lama, just a year before the latter’s sudden and suspicious death in 1989.

Chinese authorities continued to increase their surveillance of Tenzin Delek’s activities. He recorded the following statement in June 2000:
“Recently, I was called to the Religious Affairs Bureau and the United Front Work Department. … They told me, “You cannot have photos of the 14th Dalai Lama, the young Panchen Lama, or pictures of yourself.” And they said, “The pictures are getting bigger, and bigger, and bigger, and you cannot do that. And you cannot have a lama’s title.” I told them that … I did not need the title of lama; I did not need the title of monk, but I did need the rights of a human being.”
- Statement by Tenzin Delek Rinpoche, “Trials of a Tibetan Monk,” Human Rights Watch Report. Read the full report.

In April 2002, the Chinese authorities arrested Tenzin Delek and his distant relative Lobsang Dhondup (see DAY 44). Both were accused of involvement in bombings and explosions near Chengdu, Sichuan Province and sentenced to death.  According to Human Rights Watch, Tenzin Delek Rinpoche’s imprisonment “was the culmination of a decade-long effort by Chinese authorities to curb his efforts to foster Tibetan Buddhism, his support for the Dalai Lama as a religious leader, and his work to develop Tibetan social and cultural institutions. His efforts had become a focal point for Tibetans struggling to retain their cultural identity in the face of China’s restrictive policies and its continuing persecution of individuals attempting to push the accepted boundaries of cultural and social expression.”

Because of the international outcry over the case, the Chinese authorities gave assurances that Tenzin Delek and Lobsang Dhondup would receive a thorough retrial in China’s Supreme Court. However, on January 26, 2003, after a secret trial, Lobsang Dhondup was executed, and the Sichuan Higher People’s Court upheld Tenzin Delek’s 2-year suspended death sentence.

After two years of advocacy by thousands of people around the world, Chinese authorities commuted Tenzin Delek’s death sentence to life in prison on January 26th, 2005. Tibetans and supporters around the world continue to campaign for his release.

Tenzin Delek is a revered community leader, teacher, environmentalist and visionary. We honor his determination and commitment to empowering the Tibetan people.