DHARAMSHALA: Geshe Jamyang Nyima, cousin of late Tibetan political prisoner Tenzin Delek Rinpoche, testified before the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission on 17 September. The Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission is a bipartisan caucus of the United States House of Representatives, to promote, defend and advocate internationally recognised human rights norms.

In his testimonial, Geshe Jamyang Nyima raised the question of how and why Tenzin Delek Rinpoche died. Tenzin Delek Rinpoche, a prominent Tibetan political prisoner and a highly respected spiritual figure died in prison under mysterious circumstances on 12 July 2015. At the time of his death, Rinpoche was serving a life sentence under very harsh conditions for allegedly ‘causing explosions’ and ‘inciting separatism,’ charges against which he has steadfastly maintained his innocence.

“After Tenzin Delek Rinpoche’s death, his family and community asked the prison authorities for the body of Rinpoche in order to perform Buddhist final rites as per Tibetan tradition,” Geshe Jamyang Nyima stated in his testimony before the commission.

“But the authorities withheld Rinpoche’s body for several days, and finally, secretly cremated it. When Tibetans in Lithang, Rinpoche’s hometown, organised a peaceful protest to demand Rinpoche’s body for final rites, the Chinese police fired at them,” he said.

Two of Tenzin Delek Rinpoche’s relatives were detained and interrogated for 5 hours. Rinpoche’s sister Dolkar Lhamo and community leaders submitted a 5-Point Appeal to the Chinese prison authorities, urging Chinese authorities to release the body for final rites and ritual. However, authorities not only withheld the body, they also prohibited any kind of religious prayers or gatherings in the region of Lithang, Rinpoche’s hometown. Tibetans were banned from observing any prayers, or displaying his photographs, or lighting butter lamps, or any other religious rituals for several days.

Geshe Jamyang Nyima urged the US and Europe to speak out publicly for freedom and rights in Tibet under the repressive policies of the Chinese government. He particularly called on the US Congress to urge President Obama to raise the issue of Tibet during the President’s upcoming meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Tenzin Delek Rinpoche was arrested by Chnese authorities in 2002. On 26 January, Rinpoche and his nephew Lobsang Dhondup were given the death sentence. Lobsang Dhondup was executed immediately while Rinpoche’s death sentence was given a two-year reprieve.

In 2005, following sustained international advocacy for Rinpoche’s release and acquittal, his death sentence was commuted to life imprisonment.

Before Tenzin Delek Rinpoche’s mysterious death in prison on 12 July, members of the U.S. Congress and many others in the international community have called upon China to release Rinpoche on medical parole because of reports that he was suffering from serious health problems. However, those pleas were disregarded and ignored by the Chinese government.