Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent discussions his Department has had with the Chinese government on the death in custody of Tenzin Delek Rinpoche.

I raised the case of Tenzin Delek Rinpoche during Westminster Hall Debates on Tibet on both 18 June and in December last year. I urged the Chinese authorities to consider him for release on medical parole. We were saddened by reports that Tenzin died in detention on 12 July.

We supported and encouraged the EU statement of 15 July, which said the EU expected the Chinese authorities to investigate and make public the circumstances surrounding Tenzin’s death. We will continue to raise our related concerns at the UK-China Human Rights Dialogue, through the EU, and as part of our wider relationship with China.