Prominent Tibetan Buddhist Leader Detained as China Closes Another Tibetan-Language School
Chinese authorities detained Choktrul Dorje Ten Rinpoche, a prominent Tibetan Buddhist leader and educator, on December 4, 2025, as part of an intensifying campaign against Tibetan-language education. His detention has been followed by the forced closure of his school and a broader crackdown on the local community using social credit score threats.
The Dorje Ten Ethnic Vocational and Technical School, forcibly closed in late 2025. Source: Tibet Times
The Detention
Choktrul Dorje Ten Rinpoche, abbot of Osel Thegchok Chokhorling (Minthang) Monastery in Chikdril County, Golog Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, was apprehended while traveling alone, according to multiple sources including the International Campaign for Tibet (ICT) and the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA).
No official explanation has been provided for his detention. His current whereabouts remain unknown, and it is unclear which Chinese security agency—police, secret police, or state security—carried out the arrest.
“The CCP onslaught against Tibetan language learning is reaching the last few schools that have thus far escaped their grasp.” — International Campaign for Tibet
Who Is Choktrul Dorje Ten?
Born in 1967 in Minthang, Choktrul Dorje Ten studied Buddhist philosophy under prominent teachers and earned the title of Khenpo (doctor of Buddhist studies) at the renowned Larung Gar Five Sciences Buddhist Academy in Sertar. He heads Minthang Woesel Thekchog Choekhor Ling Monastery and has dedicated his life to both religious teaching and education.
In 2010, he founded the Dorje Ten Ethnic Vocational and Technical School with official Chinese government approval. The school offered a unique curriculum combining:
- Tibetan-language instruction
- Vocational training in thangka painting, Tibetan medicine, tailoring, and tent-making
- Academic subjects including Chinese, English, mathematics, and calligraphy
According to the Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy (TCHRD), the school has served more than 5,000 students since its founding, with over 1,000 graduates admitted to colleges and universities.
The Dorje Ten Ethnic Vocational and Technical School, forcibly closed in late 2025. Source: Tibet Times
School Closure and Student Displacement
The Dorje Ten Ethnic Vocational and Technical High School was forcibly closed between October and November 2025, prior to the detention. At the time of closure, over 400 students were enrolled—approximately half of whom were young monks and nuns.
All students were sent home. According to Bitter Winter, authorities have been pressuring students to transfer to government-run institutions, part of broader policies requiring Tibetan children to attend state-administered boarding schools where instruction is primarily in Mandarin Chinese.
The closure reflects 2021 amendments to Chinese education regulations that centralized Communist Party authority over private schools, effectively targeting institutions providing Tibetan-language instruction.
Students at the Dorje Ten National Vocational and Technical School before its closure. Source: TCHRD
Community Crackdown via Social Credit System
Following Choktrul Dorje Ten’s detention, Chinese authorities have escalated pressure on residents of Minthang and the broader Amdo Golog region.
According to Phayul and The Tribune India, officials organized a mandatory “Rural Governance Credit Score Exchange Conference” in Minthang. At least one representative from each household was required to attend—refusal was not an option.
Residents were explicitly warned that:
- Failure to comply with state directives would result in deductions from their rural governance credit scores
- Sharing sensitive information or “rumour-mongering” would be punished
- Political compliance is directly linked to citizen benefits
The rural credit system, established in Minthang in 2018, allows residents to accumulate points for attending government programs and state-approved activities. Points can be redeemed for cash or goods through a “points bank.” Critics characterize the system as coercive, compelling loyalty while penalizing dissent.
Part of Systematic Campaign
The detention and school closure fit a documented pattern of Chinese government actions against Tibetan-language education. Multiple private Tibetan schools have been shut down in recent years as authorities push to replace them with state-run boarding schools where Mandarin Chinese is the primary language of instruction.
This is not Choktrul Dorje Ten’s first detention. He was previously detained in November 2024 for unknown reasons and released under strict surveillance with a ban on leaving Qinghai province. His latest arrest represents a significant escalation.
Human rights organizations have called for his immediate release and for international attention to the systematic dismantling of Tibetan-language education in Tibet.
Sources: International Campaign for Tibet, TCHRD, Tibet Times, Phayul, The Tribune India, Bitter Winter, Central Tibetan Administration