Amnesty International’s appeal campaign for Tibetan religious leader and educator Choktrul Dorje Ten Rinpoche is approaching its 15 October deadline, amid continuing concerns over his whereabouts following his reported detention by Chinese authorities.
Amnesty says he was taken into custody in Qinghai province on or around 4 December 2025. Its urgent-action notice describes a lack of information about where he is being held, the legal basis for his detention and whether he has access to a lawyer. The International Campaign for Tibet reported on 21 September that his family and students had submitted seven formal appeals seeking information about his location and health. Citing its sources, the organisation said those requests had received no response. An exiled relative told ICT that the absence of verifiable information had caused serious concern among those close to him.
Choktrul Dorje Ten led Minthang Osel Thegchok Chokhorling Monastery in Chikdril, also known as Jiuzhi, in Golog Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture. He also founded a Tibetan-medium vocational school, which ICT says was forcibly closed after his detention. His work connected Buddhist education with Tibetan language and cultural preservation.
Amnesty is urging authorities to disclose his whereabouts and release him unless sufficient credible evidence supports an internationally recognisable criminal offence. It also calls for protection from torture and other ill-treatment, access to his family and a lawyer of his choice, and an end to intimidation of people seeking information about him.
The accounts cited here come from human-rights organisations; this article does not independently establish his current location or condition. Amnesty’s campaign directs supporters to send appeals to Qinghai Party Secretary Wu Xiaojun. Its US action page provides letter-writing guidance and other participation options, with submissions requested by 15 October 2026.
That date is the campaign’s appeal deadline, not a deadline imposed on Chinese authorities or an indication that the case has been resolved. Amnesty advises supporters wishing to send appeals afterward to consult their national Amnesty office.
