Samye Ling buddhists killed

It's been confirmed that one of the men arrested for allegedly stabbing a Buddhist monk to death in China, had lived at a monastary in Dumfries and Galloway for five years

The victim, Akong Rimpoche, co-founded the Samye Ling Tibetan monastery in Eskdalemuir.

His brother, who is the current abbot there, has released a statement saying one of the three men arrested was resident there and used to make religious sculptures.

He also denied reports that the alleged murder was prompted by a dispute over money.

A Tibetan lama who co-founded the biggest Buddhist monastery in Europe has been murdered along with two colleagues in China.

Akong Rinpoche died alongside his nephew and a friend during a dispute over money in the city of Chengdu, according to the Chinese authorities.

ITV Border's Fiona Armstrong spoke to Akong Rinpoche last month at the Samye Ling Tibetan centre at Eskdalemuir in Dumfries and Galloway. It was the first Buddhist monastery to be founded in Europe.

Akong Rinpoche was interviewed for a two-part documentary for ITV Border, 'A Scottish Journey.'

His personal assistant Gelong Thubten confirmed it was his last television interview.

In it, Akong Rinpoche reflected on how attitudes had changed during his 46 years in Britain and about the ongoing need for cultures to live peacefully side by side:

The brother of the Tibetan Lama who was killed in China has announced that 49 days of "Milarepa Guru Yoga" will be held at the Samye Ling centre.

Lana Yeshe Rinpoche also thanked his followers for their messages of sympathy:

Lord Steel of Aikwood opened the main temple at the Samye Ling centre in 1988, and has expressed his sadness following the death of Akong Rinpoche:

Dumfriesshire MSP Elaine Murray has expressed her sympathies following the death of Dr Choje Akong Rinpoche, who founded the Samye Ling Tibetan centre and monastery at Eskdalemuir in 1967.

Reports from China say Mr Rinpoche, along with his nephew and a monk was killed in a residential area of the city of Chengdu.

The Chinese police currently have three suspects in custody with the investigation still on going.

Akong Rinpoche maintained political ties with Beijing and met Jia Qinglin, then chairman of China's top political advisory body, when he travelled to Britain in 2006.

During this time, he explained Beijing's policies in Tibet, according to the official Xinhua News Agency.

In a talk with Mr Jia, as reported by Xinhua, Akong Rinpoche said:

Police in Chengdu, south-west China, say three suspects are in custody after Tarap Shetrup Akong was stabbed to death in a financial dispute.

According to Chinese police, three Tibetans confronted and killed the monk, who was the co-founder of the Samye Ling centre in the Eskdalemuir, his nephew and his driver.

In 2011 Akong Tulku Rinpoche was chosen as a recipient of the "60 years, 6 people" accolade, in which the British Home Secretary awarded former refugees who had made a meaningful contribution to Britain.

He also wrote three books, with the first one "Taming the Tiger", being translated into 17 languages.