Human Rights Update and Archives

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October 2000

Testimony of a former political prisoner  [ read ]

Restrictions in Gongkar County  [ read ]

'Work team' in Pashoe Monastery  [ read ]

Tsurphu Monastery after Karmapa's defection  [ read ]

Testimony of a former teacher  [ read ]

Environmental damage and racial discrimination in mining area  [ read ]

Nag Nunnery closed down by Chinese 'work team'  [ read ]

Education talk and classes on human rights and democracy in three Tibetan schools  [ read ]

TCHRD staff in Japan  [ read ]

Signature Campaign  [ read ]

TCHRD staff members attend Diplomacy Training Programme  [ read ]

New TCHRD Members  [ read ]

Seven years imprisonment in Drapchi  [ read ]

Testimony of a former political prisoner

Jamphel Sherab, 31-year-old Drepung monk, is from Jishong village, Gongkar County. He arrived in Kathmandu, Nepal on 22 October 2000.

On 27 September 1988, to commemorate the anniversary of the demonstration of the previous year, six monks from Drepung Monastery staged another peaceful demonstration in Lhasa. They were Ngawang Samphel, Jamphel Wangchuk, Ngawang Zegen, Ngawang Thosam, Ngawang Chemey and Jamphel Sherab, who was the ringleader. They started the demonstration by shouting slogans such as " Tibetan Freedom", "Chinese quit Tibet", and "Tibet belongs to Tibetans".

The six monks wore laymen's clothing and while they were going around, five other people joined them. They had just managed to go around one and half rounds when the armed policeman arrived in large numbers. However, the local mass managed to drive them away. That day none of the monks were arrested. Therefore, the monks immediately escaped to Samye in Lhoka, where Sherab had an uncle. The three of them then revealed to the uncle that they were on a hide out. Since it was too risky, the monks got some money from the uncle and headed towards Chakpori.

The next day, they went to Lhasa to assess the situation. Upon reaching there, an old Tibetan woman who recognised them did not want to risk having the monks arrested. She took the monks to a Nepali-Tibetan family ( Tibetan: Ka Tsa ra). The family gave them food and the monks spent the night in their house. The following day Sherab met an old acquaintance, Thachen, who took them to his home. Thachen gave them food and they spent another night there. He suggested that the monks should go to India and even gave them 1000 yuan towards travel expenses. The monks were basically trying to evade arrest by moving from one place to another while trying to figure out what they should do next.

In the meantime, Lamrim Rinpoche from Drepung Monastery sent a letter advising them to return to the monastery as moving around the place will do no one any good. Once the monks met Lamrim Rinpoche at his residence, he complimented them and told them to stay in the monastery. He warned them to be prepared to go to prison, to wear warm clothes, to be honest and to tell the truth.

Eleven days after their peaceful demonstration, Chinese policemen arrived in Drepung Monastery, around 9.00p.m. Sherab was called to the 'Democratic Management Committee' in the monastery and two Policemen interrogated him. They told Sherab that he did a stupid thing but Sherab responded with full determination that he was right in what he did. Then, at approximately 11p.m. the monks were taken to Gutsa Detention Centre. By the time the monks reached Gutsa, it was around 1.00a.m. They were all detained in different cells. At 3a.m. that morning, the monks were individually interrogated, severely beaten and tortured including being shocked with electric batons.

Sherab continued to remain detained for 18 months while the others were released after nine months, save for Nawang Zegen, who died six days after his release on medical grounds, following his six months detention. Sherab was confined with criminal prisoners, such as murderers, rapists, robbers, and other Chinese nationality prisoners. The only other political prisoner confined with him was Tenpa, a Lama from Ramoche Monastery originally from Drayab in Kham.

While in detention, once the prison guard claimed that Sherab insulted him by not saluting him. The prison guard made Sherab bend on all fours and hit him in the stomach, stamped on his hands and kicked him in the face.

Three days after Sherab was released, Chinese officials held a mass meeting in Drepung Monastery. The officers counted the number of monks who were former political prisoners including those currently held in prison. There were in total, 43 monks and all of them were declared expelled from the monastery. The former political prisoners were handed over to PSB officers of their respective areas. However, since there was no one from Sherab's area, he remained at the monastery for an additional nine days. After nine days, three officers came with the religious head of Gongkar County who handed over Sherab to his family and strict restrictions were placed on him.

After some bribery, he obtained permission to go to Drepung Monastery for six months. He then alternated between being at the monastery, at home or in retreat, until Lamrim Rinpoche promised to take responsibility for him to the police. Since then he stayed in Drepung Monastery for two years until Lamrim Rinpoche's demise in 1997. Within 20 days of Rinpoche's demise, Sherab was expelled from the monastery saying, "You are a counter-revolutionary activist."

Following his expulsion, he stayed in Lhasa at a house that belonged to his relatives. There he studied and read scriptures but had no other work. He then moved to a house bought for him by his teachers, Ngawang Thochu and Ngawang Woeser, and studied under a private tutor from Tibet University, Sortha Dorjee. He studied Tibetan Literature and Poetry. However, opportunities were limited for Sherab.

Therefore, he left Lhasa on 6 October with a document that allowed him to go till Dram. There he stayed for eight days before walking for two days and one night to the house of his Sherpa guide. He paid the guide 2000 yuan, which covered expenses for the food and transportation.

He stayed five days at the Sherpa's home, whilst the Sherpa returned to Dram to collect two other escapees, a middle school student and a driver, both from Amdo. They left the house at around 1.30 a.m. for Barabasi, where they hid under the bridge for six hours. An Ambulance gave them a ride, concealing them at the back of the vehicle. They travelled non-stop to the Ambulance driver's house where they waited for three hours for the Sherpa guide to arrive with their luggage. From there, they proceeded to the Reception Centre, arriving on 22 October 2000.

Sherab's family consist of ten members including his parents, two elder brothers, three younger sisters, and two younger brothers. His family are farmers. Sherab went to Jishong primary school at the age of nine and completed when he was 14. He came to Lhasa on 15 October 1980, and worked in a cement factory as a part time worker. When he turned 18 in 1983, Sherab joined Drepung Monastery. At that time there were approximately 450 monks in the monastery.

Restrictions in Gongkar County

At every political meeting held twice a week by Gongkar County Officials since 1999, the local farmers are forbidden from possessing pictures of the Dalai Lama and discussing about Tibetan freedom. Government officials are not permitted to worship or hold any religious ceremonies. Security personnel posted in every village keep vigilance over the political activities of the villagers such as engaging in freedom talks and listening to Voice Of America.

Families in Gangchu village having relatives and family members in India are interrogated to check for any communication between them. Letters received from India are checked for any political contents mentioned therein. Gangchu village has 93 families with an estimated population of 560. In the beginning of 2000, the Chinese officials held mass meetings in the village whereby every villager was drilled to speak against Tibet Freedom.

Hui She village under Jishong township is the birthplace of late Tashi Tsering who lowered the Chinese national flag in front of the Potala Palace in 1999. His father, Yebsang, passed away in 1998. Tashi has one brother and a sister at home. His parents were divorced in 1992. Tashi and his mother moved to Lhasa, whilst his father remained at home.

On 26 August 1999 Tashi Tsering from Lhoka prefecture lowered the Chinese national flag in front of the Potala Palace. He attempted to commit suicide imeediately thereafter but the explosives strapped on his body failed to ignite. Tashi was immediately arested and was beaten so severely by security officials that he could barely walk by the time he was taken into custody. He was beaten even at the time of transportation to the place of detention.

Soon after the incident in Lhasa, Tashi's native place was flooded with army policemen. His mother and wife who are residing in Lhasa were also called for interrogation. They were detained for several days. His relatives back in his hometown in Lhoka Gongkar were rigorously interrogated with humiliation and torture by the PSB.

From then on, the control of Jishong township was heavily tightened. No family dares to keep photo of the Dalai Lama in their house. One family in village # 12 of Gyaral township was caught possessing the banned photo and was called to a meeting and publicly humiliated. Later, they were allegedly fined although the informant does not know the amount.

According to a Xinhua report of 21 October 1999, Xu Mingyang, executive vice chairman of the 'TAR', "denied some foreign reports claiming that the man who attempted the explosion was killed in a local prison...The criminal, a farmer from the suburbs of Lhasa, the regional capital, is still alive and has confessed all his criminal activities, showing willingness to correct himself". The report did not mention the state of Tashi Tsering's health and did not specify whether he had been sentenced.

The Chinese officials have ignored demands by TCHRD to produce Tashi Tsering if their claims stand true.

Migmar Gyaltsen, a 27-year-old escapee from Tibet, is the eighth child of eleven siblings in his family. Born in Gangchu village, Section five, Jishong township, Gongkar County, Migmar had never been to school. Except for four of his siblings, all others are illiterate. Migmar reached Tibetan Reception Centre in Nepal on 25 September 2000. Migmar also reports on forced labour and purchase of fertiliser.

Farmers in Gangchu village, irrespective of their age, are required to work for 15 days a year without wage. The work involves road construction, digging tunnels and other manual labour. A fine of 40 yuan is imposed on any A fine of 40 yuan is imposed on any person failing to carry out the required work.

The farmers are forced to buy the two kinds of fertiliser available every year. One is used on the surface and the other is dug into the soil. The former costs 53 yuan for a load with a weight of 100 'gyama' and the latter cost 100 yuan for a load that also weighs 100 'gyama'.

Although the fertiliser is not so useful, it is distributed throughout the township and village, and nobody has the right to refuse it. Local authorities deliver the unwanted fertiliser at the doorstep of each family and collect the payment. On average, each person needs to buy four loads of surface fertiliser and six loads of in-ground fertiliser.

Migmar himself worked on the farm at home. Migmar's eleven family members have 56 mu (one mu is equal to 67 square meters) of land. Normally, each person owns five mu and they grow mainly wheat and barley. The annual yield is approximately 600-700 drukhel (one drukhel is equal to 14 kg). Each family is expected to submit 130 drukhel to the government at a lower rate.

Migmar found it stifling to adhere to the demands of the Chinese authorities. He felt that "people outside Tibet should know about what is happening." Migmar left Lhasa with a group of escapees and came to Nepal via Porong.

'Work team' in Pashoe Monastery

'Work teams' who arrived in Pashoe Monastery in 1998 told that Buddhism is a minority religion and preached 'freedom of religion'. Their concept of religious freedom is to endorse a total lack of discipline within the monastery. For instance, the freedom for monks to come and go during prayer sessions. These ideas are also distributed in a written format.

They also enforced an age limit in Pashoe Monastery that time, compelling many monks to leave. Currently, the maximum number of monks allowed at the monastery is 238. There are however, 140 monks that have been officially expelled but who still surreptitiously continue their studies, and leave during the 'work team' visits.

When the Chinese issued ID for all the acceptable monks, there was a group of younger monks who wanted to stage opposition. They were however advised against taking any such action by the senior monks as it might have serious repercussions on the monastery.

The 'work team' officials told that "the Dalai Lama was wrong in his political stance, and used as an example how he had personally been wrong before by worshipping Shugden, which he had later banned." They provided written documents expounding such ideas, which the monks later burnt or shredded into pieces in anger. Same talks were given in other monasteries, and were received with similar responses.

There was no political activity undertaken by the monks at Pashoe Monastery itself, only by some of those studying elsewhere, mainly Lhasa. As the senior monks made a declaration that the monastery had no connection with political activities or the Dalai Lama, no further 'work team' members were sent to the monastery.

Lobsang Tsering, a 24-year-old former monk of Pashoe Monastery reached India on 19 October 2000. Tsering is originally from Winda village in Chamdo. Tsering though ordained as a monk at the age of 10, stayed working with his family until 1995, when he joined Pashoe Monastery.

Tsering comes from a nomad family of eight, including three elder brothers and two younger sisters. The family owns 40 yaks and dri, 60 sheep and three horses. There are 23 such families in his village. As no school facilities are available in the village as well as in the surrounding Gochisang, the whole family is uneducated and involved themselves in nomadic work.

Tsering left for Lhasa on 26 March and spent the next five months searching for a way to get to India. He studied English in the evenings at a school near Ramoche Monastery. The school employs foreign teachers that were constantly changing. There were 40-50 students and his friends paid the fees for him, so he does not know the amount. There were no restrictions or police surveillance, so he thinks the school operates with the Chinese approval.

Tsering left Lhasa on 3 October with a group of 27. They divided at Shigatse and regrouped later on. They proceeded to Dingri in a covered truck, and walked to Shar Bumpa evading the checkpoints during the nights. There was one Tibetan guide, to whom they each paid 1050 to 1500 yuan. He took them as far as the border and left them to fend for themselves.

Within Nepal, they encountered a checkpoint where Nepal police took their belongings and demanded Rs. 15,000 per person. They were told to return to Tibet and were escorted back towards the border where they escaped during the night whilst the police were asleep. They were detained in Ziri some days later and were taken to Zagoduk by bus, for which they each had to pay Rs. 50. They were then taken to Immigration Office where the police tried to exhort Rs.10,000 from them allegedly for the food provided, which had consisted solely of noodles. The Tibetan Reception Centre in Nepal collected them from the Immigration Office in Nepal.

Tsurphu Monastery after Karmapa's defection

Karma Thupten Choephel is a 24-year-old monk from Tsurphu Monastery. Originally from village #2, Shepo township in Nyemo County, Choephel arrived in Kathmandu, Nepal on 15 October 2000.

After the defection of Karmapa earlier this year, his attendants Choedup, Dasa and Sonam Tsering were detained for one day in Lhasa and forced to stand up on the chair during interrogation session as a form of punishment and humiliation. The three were on duty the night the escape was made. They were accused of being linked to the escape plan.

Currently, Tsurphu Monastery houses 326 monks. New admission to the monastery is strictly prohibited and monks related to officers in the Tibetan administration in exile are expelled. Names of some of the expelled monks are: Jigme, Pema Dorjee, Rigsang, Sonam Tsering, Tsetan Choephel, Gyaltsen and Tenzin Nyandak. Tibetan officials working in the Chinese administration are not allowed to perform any religious ceremonies or worship.

The administrative set up of Tsurphu Monastery was reshuffled after the defection, save for Lobdun who is the head of the Democratic Management Committee. He is reportedly loyal to the Chinese government and exhibits no interest in Tibetan Freedom and the Dalai Lama. The Chinese officials praise him as a role model who keeps 'strict discipline in the monastery and loves the nation'. The monks have appealed to change him as their head but the officials paid no heed to their request.

Monks of Tsurphu monastery are subjected to serious restrictions whereby armed policemen scrutinise their movements all the time. The gates of the main prayer hall is guarded by policemen before, after and during prayer sessions. Monks are not allowed to visit each other's rooms even for study purposes. The policemen on duty barge in and ask various questions such as, "What are you talking about?" "Are you planning to escape to India?" "Are you communicating with the Dalai 'splittist'?" Choephel says, "Nowadays any talks of escaping to India, listening to Dalai Lama's speech tapes and listening to Tibetan broadcasting are treated a worse crime than criminal activities, including killing."

Following the flight of the Karmapa, all the Kargyu Monasteries were under tight control. For example, restrictions were imposed on Nyelnang Kargyu Monastery in Toelung Dechen and Kalo Kargyu Monastery in Kham Derge. The monks of these monasteries were forbidden from moving around freely. Policemen kept a strict vigil within the monastery. Similar type of restrictions imposed in Tsurphu Monastery was applied to other Kargyu Monasteries as well. In some other monasteries in Nyemo, the photo of Ugen Thinley Dorjee (Karmapa) is forbidden.

"After Gyalwa Karmapa's escape, the number of visitors to Tsurphu Monastery has declined drastically. A 12-year-old boy recognised as Pawo Rinpoche by Gyalwa Karmapa and who was staying at Tsurphu Monastery was taken away from the monastery. He was forced to attend a regular school in Lhasa although I am not sure of the name of the institution."

Karma Thupten Choephel left his native place on 3 September and escaped to Nepal via Mount Kailash with a group of four people. "My main aim for coming to India is to seek an audience with His Holiness the Dalai Lama. Besides, Gyalwa Karmapa is now in India. There is less freedom of religion in Tibet. Right now, the Tibetan officials are not allowed to worship, however, I think this will gradually apply to the monks."

Testimony of a former teacher

Rinchen Paldon, a 20-year-old former primary school teacher, relates the condition of school system, annual tax, 'work team' visits and prostitution in her native town in Tibet upon her arrival in India.

Following formal tests in Maths and Tibetan, Rinchen was assigned to Thokar Choe Primary school as a mathematics teacher where she worked for four years on a meagre salary of 150 yuan per month. The students are taught Tibetan, Maths and Chinese in the school. Most of the lessons deal with the achievements of Chinese revolutionary leaders like Mao and including Chinese literature and history. In the school, there are 12 Tibetan teachers and 150 students. After six years of study in Thokar Choe Primary school since the age of eight, Rinchen joined County Middle School as a private candidate for one year.

One of the main underlying reason for Rinchen's escape is that she wants to do further studies which is made quite impossible with the high fees. The meagre salary of 150 yuan she earned as a primary teacher for four years is not enough to sustain her livelihood itself. Rinchen feels there is no future for the Tibetans in her own homeland of Pashoe. So, on the pretext of going to Lhasa for a treatment, Rinchen escaped to India.

In Yado village there are 38 families, but there is neither a clinic nor any electricity. The government on the other hand, imposes various kinds of taxes such as butter, grass, wood and grain taxes. 150 gyama (one gyama is equal to 500 grams)of grass is given as grass tax per year whereas for the wood tax, each adult pays 80 gyama of wood. The grain tax is collected on the basis of amount of mu that each possess but she has no clear data on the exact figure.

Public meetings are called in the village in which the Chinese announce that Tibetans are not to keep photos of the Dalai Lama. Chinese officials raided the Tibetan houses twice in 1997. The Tibetan people hide the banned photo when the Chinese come and put them back on display when they are gone. Chinese who are in the majority in Pashoe township, are engaged in various kinds of work such as business, running shops and restaurant. Such overwhelming Chinese presence and commerce deprives the Tibetans of the income generating sectors.

Besides, prostitution flourish in Pashoe township. Initially, the prostitutes carry out the work in bars and karaoke in discretion. But in 1997, concrete shelters were built where these prostitutes carry out their businesses candidly. Prostitutes numbering upto dozens are all Chinese immigrants from China.

In March 2000, Rinchen left her native place and came to Lhasa with her father and two sisters. After 15 days stay at Lhasa, they met an Amdo guide to whom they paid 600 yuan as a security deposit and agreed to pay 800 yuan each upon their safe arrival in India. Unfortunately, the Chinese policemen caught them in Chosu while they were on their way. Rinchen and her father were imprisoned whereas the two younger sisters, aged 13 and 10 were left standing outside, in the yard.

While in detention, the father and daughter were interrogated as to their destination and purpose of their journey. They got severe beatings, suffered kicks, punches, slaps and were shocked with the electric baton when they responded that they were on a pilgrimage.

Eventually, they had to tell the truth that they were going to India, for which they were detained. Rinchen was held for two days and her father for one month and 13 days. All the cash and belongings they had with them were confiscated, except for those that they managed to hide in their shoes and toothpaste container.

Rinchen's father stayed in Lhasa for 15 days after release and then returned home to Pashoe, leaving Rinchen and her two younger sisters at a relative's home in Lhasa. Whilst in Lhasa, Rinchen worked in a Chinese restaurant as a sweeper for six months, for which she was paid 300 yuan per month including food. But all these time, her determination to escape again was still alive. So, in her second attempt with a group of 27 people, they walked 14 days via Shar Bumpa and arrived at Tibetan Reception Centre on 17 October. Rinchen wishes to attend a Tibetan school in India.

Environmental damage and racial discrimination in mining area

Mhera Mining Area in Themchen County has led to the depletion of surrounding grassland and resulted in the accidental death of grazing herds as well as a few local Tibetans of Huo Long area. Waste materials from the mining that are dumped indiscriminately around the area cause major environmental damage. Least attention is paid to local protests regarding environmental destruction from the mining operation.

Mhera Mining Area started in 1990 under authorisation from the town has about 1000 workers, and the surrounding area and village is populated by Tibetans. The mine supplies coal to many nearby cement factories including Ghomo Cement Factory, Zhite County Cement Factory, the Xingne Khangthang Cement Factory and Lhanzhouthang Cement Factory. From July to September, considered as the peak season, 10,000 tuen (one tuen is equal to 1000 kg) of coal extracted from the mine would be transported in 50-60 trucks per day. One large truck could hold around eight tuen.

The majority of the workers are Chinese. Previously there were ten Tibetans working but that has now been reduced to less than half a dozen. The mine contractor, a Chinese man transfers his own people in to work and there were instances of open bigotry with the Tibetans being called 'Tibetan dog' by Chinese. Further discrimination is practised with the Tibetans being prevented from working at high salary posts.

There are also reports of unofficial tax being levied on the villagers. When Chinese officials or friends of the County head (Chinese:xianzhang)desired supplies, they would give a slip of paper with the required products written on them which could also include livestock. When this slip was presented to a particular family that the County head had chosen, that family is forced to supply these items without payment, under the auspices of it being a form of tax.

Jamyang, a 23-year-old driver at Mhera Mining Area left Tibet on 7 October and walked via Shar Bumpa in a group of 31 people. They had a Khampa guide, Tashi, to whom he paid 800 yuan but the rate varied for each escapee. The whole group was caught at Barabasi and taken to the Immigration office. Later, a staff from the Reception Centre in Nepal collected them on 24 October. Now in exile, Jamyang wants to seek an audience with the Dalai Lama and pursue further studies.

Nag Nunnery closed down by Chinese 'work team'

Sonam Wangyal, who recently arrived in Dharamsala, reported that a Chinese 'work team' closed Nag Nunnery, situated north of Tawu County, Sichuan Province. The closure of the nunnery is part of the 'Strike Hard' Campaign that the Chinese government launched in Tibet in April 1996.

According to Sonam, a ten-member 'work team' officials from Tawu County visited Nag Nunnery in May 2000 and forced the nuns to accept political allegiance that opposes the Dalai Lama. Chinese authorities declared that those nuns who accept the political allegiance will be given identity card.

Around 130 nuns in the nunnery unanimously opposed the order of the 'work team' and refused to sign the pledges. As a result, 'work team' closed and sealed the nunnery. All the nuns were sent back to their homes and some went to other places.

Nag Nunnery is traditionally a Gelug (Buddhist sect) nunnery, which was destroyed during the Cultural Revolution and rebuilt by local Tibetans.

Education talk and classes on human rights and democracy in three Tibetan schools

Lobsang Tsering, Researcher, and Jampel Monlam, Field Officer, visited three Tibetan schools as part of the educational programme TCHRD organises every year.

From 3 October to 6 October, Lobsang and Jampel visited Tibetan Homes Foundation School and Central School for Tibetans in Mussoorie and delivered talks about human rights and democratic values and principles to students ranging from age 16 to 18 years. They took separate sections from class eight, nine and ten.

During the classes, they talked about present democratic system of the exile government and status of Tibetan refugees in India. The students were also informed on the United Nations offices and their mandates. Human Rights and Democracy booklets were distributed as reference book for the students. The students actively participated and questions were raised about Tibet's situation in the United Nations. In the evenings Jampel, who is a former political prisoner gave an account of his prison life to the students. The response from the students was overwhelming.

On 6 October, Lobsang and Jampel went to CST, Paonta Sahib and talked to around 150 students ranging from age 12 to 15 on human rights and democracy. Similar discussions were held and the children appeared extremely interested.

TCHRD staff in Japan

Gaden Tashi, Field Officer of TCHRD branch office in Kathmandu, Nepal, is currently in Japan. His trip started on 15 October and will last a month. Gaden Tashi was invited by Amnesty International in Japan to give talks on the current situation in Tibet. While in Japan, he visited the Chinese Embassy in Tokyo and submitted a memorandum calling for the release of political prisoners in Tibet. He also met with the Foreign Secretary of Japan and informed her about the human rights situation in Tibet and beseeched for her country's support in improving the situation.

Signature Campaign

As of 2 September 2000, friends of TCHRD volunteered to distribute our literature and collect signatures from visitors in Mcleod Ganj. This signature campaign is a part of petitions demanding release of prominent political prisoners who continue to be detained in Chinese-administered prisons in Tibet. So far, TCHRD received 3088 signatures of visitors from 42 different countries. The signatures have been submitted to the Chinese Embassy.

TCHRD staff members attend Diplomacy Training Programme

Four staff members of the Centre including the Executive Director, Lobsang Nyandak; Senior Programme Officer, Youdon Aukatsang; Researcher Lobsang Tsering and Tenzin Chokey attended an eight-day workshop on Diplomacy.

The training programme organised by the Diplomacy Training Programme under the University of New South Wales, Australia in collaboration with the Department of Information and International Relations was attended by 30 participants representing different departments and organisations.

The Executive Director took a session during this programme on lobbying at the UN and how the UN has functioned in the past with regard to Tibet issue. The Senior Programme Officer, Youdon Aukatsang gave a session on the UN Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights.

New TCHRD Members

Tenzin Kunsel, Mrs. Geetha Basappa, Tashi Gyurmey, Sonam Gyatso, Tenzin Nyima and Choegyal are the new members of TCHRD this month. TCHRD has currently 124 members.

Seven years imprisonment in Drapchi

Che Che is a 29-year-old from Kuru village, Sumpang township in Phenpo Lhundrup County. She was a nun at Phenpo Gyabra Nunnery. There are six members in her family. Her father passed away when she was young. She has one brother and two younger sisters. They are semi-nomads by occupation. Since childhood, she was at home helping her parents at work.

In 1990, she joined Phenpo Gyabra Nunnery. Since then she was at the Nunnery which was destroyed during the Cultural Revolution. She was involved in the renovation work of the nunnery. Except for 20 nuns, rest of the 120 are novice nuns.

On 12 February 1995, 14 nuns of Phenpo Nunnery set out to Lhasa to initiate a demonstration. They are Chogdrup Dolma, Ngawang Dolma, Thupten Jugney, Yangdon, Jamdron, Monlam Choenyi, Tsering Choekyi, Ngawang Zoepa, Ngawang Tsomo, Namgyal, Sherab Choephel, Palchen, Chungkyi and Che Che. For one whole day, the nuns walked to Lhasa from Phenpo. The next day, the nuns held a peaceful demonstration where they shouted pro-independence slogans. However, Lhasa City PSB officers immediately arrested the nuns and took them to Gutsa Detention Centre. Upon reaching Gutsa, the PSB officers beat the nuns individually. The nuns were interrogated for several hours at a stretch while simultaneously subjecting them to inhumane torture.

In June 1995, the 14 nuns were tried in the Lhasa City Intermediate People's Court. The nuns were sentenced to various prison terms ranging from five to seven years' imprisonment. Che Che was sentenced to five years' imprisonment.

On 31 July 1995, the 14 nuns were transferred to Drapchi as part of the group of 60 nuns who first occupied the new rukhag # 3. The day coincided with August First (Chinese Bayi Day) which marks the foundation of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) on 1 August 1949. The nuns were kept standing for the whole day from morning to evening on their first day in Drapchi. The nuns were forced to keep papers under their armpits and in between their knees. Furthermore, the nuns had to balance a bowl of water on the head. This kind of punishment continued for three months until November 1995.

They were further subjected to an 'exercise' in the form of drill instructions. Many nuns were susceptible to severe beatings and punishment during that time as the instructions were only in Chinese and because the nuns came from rural background they did not follow the orders.

On 10 February 1997, the prison authorities assembled the nuns and made them sing patriotic Chinese songs. Two nuns sang in high pitched voices to sink the voices of those singing the patriotic songs and gradually other nuns joined in. The nuns were immediately removed from the place while the other nuns shouted for the release of the two nuns. Many nuns faced severe beatings following this incident.

Che Che was again subjected to beatings and torture following the May 1 and 4 demonstration. She was confined to a solitary cell for three months due to her participation. Upon her release from the solitary confinement cells, her sentence was extended for another two years in October 1998 totaling her prison term to seven years' imprisonment.

Che Che is reportedly under very appalling condition and is mentally unstable.