DHARAMSHALA: Speaking at the launch of Tibet Policy Institute’s new journal today, Sikyong Dr. Lobsang Sangay urged Chinese authorities to hand over Tulku Tenzin Delek Rinpoche’s ashes to his family and disciples. He also called for the release of Rinpoche’s sister and her daughter who reportedly went missing after being detained by Chinese police.

Sikyong expressed his solidarity with the relatives and disciples of Tenzin Delek Rinpoche who died under mysterious circumstances on 12 July while serving a life sentence in Chuandong prison in the southwestern Chinese Provincial city of Chengdu.

Sikyong also explained that Rinpoche’s relatives and disciples fear that Chinese authorities might have poisoned Rinpoche, after it was revealed that Rinpoche’s lips and nails have turned black according to confirmed reports from Tibet.

Sikyong also rebuked China for not handing over Rinpoche’s ashes to his family and disciples after the cremation. Reports from Tibet say that the ashes of Tulku Tenzin Delek Rinpoche were handed over to the family at first but later forcibly retaken by the authorities. Sikyong implored the Chinese authorities to hand over the ashes for its significance in Tibetan Buddhist rituals of a deceased.

Sikyong has earlier expressed his sadness by stating, “It is sad to learn about the death of Tulku Tenzin Delek Rinpoche. We knew he was gravely ill and his followers made numerous appeals for a medical parole.”

“The fact that he was not even allowed medical parole and last wish of followers to see him reflects continuing hard line policies of the Chinese government. Such mistreatment will only generate more resentment among Tibetans,” he said.