Press Releases

Today, Congressman Jim McGovern (MA-02), a senior House Democrat and co-chair of the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission, released the following statement on the death of Tenzin Delek Rinpoche, a Tibetan human rights activist who had been imprisoned by the Chinese government for the last thirteen years.

“I am deeply saddened by the tragic and unnecessary death of the well-known Tibetan monk Tenzin Delek Rinpoche in a Chinese prison. Tenzin Delek Rinpoche was serving a twenty-year sentence under very harsh conditions for allegedly ‘causing explosions’ and ‘inciting separatism,’ charges against which he steadfastly maintained his innocence,” Congressman McGovern said. “As recently as April I called upon the U.S. government to make his release on medical parole a priority so that he could receive treatment outside Tibet and China for the serious health problems he was reported to be suffering. China turned a blind eye to my pleas and those of many others, and now a respected spiritual leader is no longer with us.

“It is imperative that China return Tenzin Delek Rinpoche’s body to his family, and respect their wishes to bury him in accordance with Tibetan tradition. Any other course of action would be barbarous,” McGovern added. “The death of Tenzin Delek Rinpoche only underscores the urgency of the situation in Tibet and the need for the international community to hold China accountable for their human rights abuses.”

Congressman McGovern has been a leading voice in Washington calling for the release of Tenzin Delek Rinpoche. In April 2015, he called on the State Department and the U.S. Embassy in China to make Tenzin Delek’s release on medical parole a priority, citing his poor health. In June 2015, the State Department responded, saying that they recently urged the Chinese government to release Tenzin Delek on medical parole and that they continue to press the Chinese government to respect universal human rights.

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