Dharamsala: "I was born on the 5th of October 1985, son of Dawa Dhondup and Pal Dekyi in Phukyulnang Village of the Lhopa Township in Karze County, Eastern Tibet. I am one of ten children, three of who are monks. At age 10 I was enrolled in primary school in my village, and at age 16 I joined the Tsitsang Monastery to pursue higher monastic studies. On the 18th of March 2008 a monk named Ngoega from Serchu village in Karze county led a pro-Tibet demonstration and recruited ten Tibetans including myself. During the protest, armed Chinese military surrounded the demonstrators and opened fire.I believe that it was due to His Holiness’ blessings and prayers that not one of us was injured or incarcerated. I was dedicated to maintaining good health. I felt a strong hatred toward the Chinese authorities who torture innocent people, including Tibetan scholars and religious figures, force Tibetans to denounce His Holiness the Dalia Lama and the Tibetan government in Exile, and loot precious artifacts from Tibetan monasteries. Monks residing in monasteries are obligated to reject the separatist movement and, should they refuse, they are either forced to relinquish their status within the monastery or detained without evidence of wrongdoing.
Harboring resentment and inflamed by desperation, we demonstrated against the Chinese government on the main street in Karze County at 1:40 P.M. on the 18th of March 2008. We shouted our slogans at the tops of our voices: “Long Live His Holiness,” “Allow His Holiness to Lead Tibet,” “Free Tibet,” “Tibetans Deserve Human Rights, Religious Freedom and Freedom of Speech,” “Release Panchen Ringpoche and All Political Prisoners!” Several days prior to the demonstration, I transcribed the words “Free Tibet, Long Live His Holiness” on five hundred sheets of paper in my room and delivered them to Karze county.
On the 7th of March 2008 I was sitting in a restaurant in Karze County and overheard a woman proclaim that an anti-Chinese protest would occur the next day. As I was thirty kilometers from my have, I did not have time to return for the papers. The next morning I brought them to Karze County and heard two laymen speaking of the upcoming demonstration in the transport vehicle. After arriving in Karze County I waited until Ngoega began to shout slogans in front of a gathering of thousands. He hollered, “Lhagyal-lo!” (“Victory to the God!”) “Today is the day the men of the Karze region prove their courage! Tibet is a pure and independent entity!” As soon as the slogans broke out, I released my five hundred pages into the air. The number of protesters slowly augmented. As if on a metaphorical liberation highway, the demonstrators marched toward the police station and congregated in front of the compound. When the trespassers were perceived, the armed Chinese military force opened fire, threw tear gas into the crowd, and tortured the protesters mercilessly with electric shock apparatus. The crowd dispersed and there were no immediate casualties.
Later I learned that Ngoe-ga from Serchu village had been sentenced to eight years in prison, and Lhakpa Tsering from Dzakhok village to seven. Jamyang from Chokri village, Tashi Palden from Wosang, Loga from Tachudha, Chimed Gonpo from Drukha, Sangpo from Tsangkha village, Pema Dechen from Tsoshi, Loyang from family called Karze Arura, and Gonpo Gyaltsen from Drukha village, Karze county eastern Tibet had all been sentenced to three. Plenty of fellow protesters went missing, and no information is available pertaining to their condition or whereabouts. Like in all other parts of Tibet, the farmers in Tehor region, eastern Tibet, my native region, continue to boycott cultivating farmland due to the intensive oppression of the Chinese government. Take me for instance. I value my health greatly.
During the protest, I was not injured and succeeded in avoiding arrest. On the 7th of May 2008 the security department of Kanze Prefecture and Kanze District as well as those of Drakgo and Serta areas jointly released an arrest warrant announcing the names of thirty-six people who allegedly posed a threat to national security and political stability, violated of the rules pertaining to social security, and participated in the destruction of livelihood and property. My name was among the listed. The five perpetrators from Kanze County were Mandhu Gonpo, myself Tsering Jurmed, Tsering Nadmed Shawo, Tsetan Phuntsok and Tashi Namgyal, and Kalsang, On the 18th of March 2008 the security department of Kanze County publicized via the media in order to ensure the capture of the aforementioned demonstrators, posting a reward of 15-20,000 yen.The Chinese authorities released arrest warrants for Sonam Nyima and his relative Tsering Jigme, age 26, who are currently in hiding, because of their involvement in the March 2008 violent protests in Lhasa, the capital of Tibet. Sonam Nyima’s brother, Tenzin Ngoedup, age 24, was sentenced to three years in prison for his involvement in the protest which occurred on the 20th of May 2008 in Kanze County. My brother Tenzin Ngoedup and one of his friends partook in the peaceful protest in Kanze County and are currently serving a three year prison sentence. My uncle Sonam Nyima, age 43, was also arrested on various charges but was released after several days. As it is very dangerous in Tibet, I left my hometown and fled to Lhasa in March 2009. There I hired a guide for 30,000 yen to help me cross the border into India. On the 11th of May 2009, I arrived safely at the Tibetan Refugee Reception Center in Nepal."
Edited by Y.C. Dhardhowa, Editor of the Tibet Post
