NYU Gallatin Global Fellowship in Human Rights Blog

Gu Chu Sum

by

Karanjit Singh
Gu Chu Sum
Dharamsala, India

My time at Gu Chu Sum proved to be very helpful in understanding the motivations of many of the former political prisoners from Tibet that have risked their entire lives to stand up for a cause they really believe in. Gu Chu Sum was established initially in 1991. The name is three numbers, 9, 10, and 3 in the Tibetan language, and was chosen because it represents the dates (September 9, October 10, and March 3) when massive pro-independence demonstrations broke out in Lhasa during 1987-1988, where hundreds of protesters were arrested, imprisoned and tortured in Chinese prisons.

Initially I had a few problems working with the community, mainly because of the language barrier; although I know a little Tibetan, there were several accents that I was unaware of prior to my arrival here which set me back for a bit. Most of the staff were recent refugees who also happened to be former political prisoners inside Tibet that have moved into exile. Gu Chu Sum is currently led by the Vice President, Namgyal Dolkar, a passionate young Tibetan woman. Namgyal Dolkar is also one of the first few Tibetans to have successfully applied for an Indian citizenship. As Tibetan refugees living in India, it is in fact very difficult to obtain an Indian citizenship, even if one was born in India to a refugee family.

woman posing in dark room before pictures on wall
Namgyal Dolkar, Vice President of Gu Chu Sum India, poses next to an archived photograph of Chinese instruments of Torture. She writes, “Hearing stories about life in Chinese prison was something so ‘normal’ and part of my life, and never would I’ve reckoned that it would become my profession. I am a daughter of a former prisoner of conscience and I always state that with much pride. Working in Gu Chu Sum and becoming the first ever second generation of a political prisoner in Tibet to get this opportunity of serving my community is an immense privilege.
It might seem like a job to some people but for me I can envisage how this is shaping my personality drastically. I am inspired everyday to continue my fight for freedom and feel lucky that I get to take part in it. There used to be a time when it was too difficult and overpowering to hear the testimonies of different political prisoners who are all martyrs in my eyes leave apart the emotional intensity/pressure of reciting or translating. But as I continue doing so I realize how it is making me a stronger person; a stronger Tibetan
I truly believe each Tibetan holds a responsibility and owes it to their ancestors; and that succumbs me to work harder.”

At Gu Chu Sum, I took up the task of teaching photography and English to a group former prisoners who had recently escaped Tibet and had come into exile in India. During the two month long course, we were able to read several short stories written by prominent Tibetan authors in exile. The idea was to emphasize political and cultural vocabulary that has been used by exiled writers so that the students could ultimately pen stories of their own. I was particularly interested in how these students, all young activists from Tibet in their late twenties and early thirties, understood the Tibetan issue. For many of the people who have lived only in exile, the problems faced by Tibetans inside Tibet can sometimes be hard to grasp, as there is a lack of clear information regarding what is happening in the region due to heavy surveillance and censorship.

man sitting on bed in bedroom facing window
Yeshi protested with friends when he learnt of the 2008 Beijing Olympics happening in China. Only 18 at the time, Yeshi had to flee his town out of fear for his family and lived in hiding in the woods for two months scavenging on what food he could find in the wild. Not returning home for two years, Yeshi lived under various disguises as a nomad travelling far and wide in Tibet. Upon deciding to leave his home to escape the authorities cracking down on protesters, Yeshi recalls, “It was a cold winter morning on 15th of November 2008, and as usual, my mother handed me a cup of hot milk but this time the thickness of the milk had just doubled. She told me that nobody can protect our family except ourselves. Perhaps it was her thick words that made the milk so thick that I couldn’t even drink it. Unusual silence from my father’s side made the atmosphere even worse. He only told me to be fast because my mother might not be able to take my leaving so easily. In that heavy atmosphere with all that heavy heart, I finally realized it was time to leave my beloved family and embark of my predictably unpredictable future of struggle for freedom. I jumped on the backseat of my brother’s motorbike and took off slowly away from my house. The picture of my family and relatives coming to bid their last goodbye got smaller and smaller as we rode farther away from my house.”

It was fascinating to hear stories from the students about their time inside their homeland. Out of the 7 students I taught, 4 had been involved in the 2008 protests that erupted in Lhasa during the Beijing Olympics. One of them happily recalled how he, in protest to the Olympic games and China’s continued disregard of Tibetan history and language, sneaked into his local school, cut the computer wires, and wrote “Free Tibet” on the chalkboard of every classroom. The authorities obviously found out about him, but only after he was on the run. Stories like this are not one but many, stories of youngsters who acted out against an oppressive system in any small way they could.

man sitting in a hall with folded flag on his lap
Gonpo Thrinley was only 19 when he was arrested and imprisoned in Tibet for protesting during the 2008 Beijing Olympics protests that erupted all over Tibet. During his sentence, Gonpo was beaten with spikes and electrical rods, and put through an emotionally traumatic ordeal. “At night, I couldn’t even sleep properly because all I could think of was food. Each morning all that would be given to us would be a cup of hot water and that’s it. The afternoon and evening meals were also really bad rice and curry, which they served to us in quantities that is not at all sufficient. At night I would dream about the food my mother would make at home,” said Gonpo of his time in prison. He is one of the few political prisoners that was recently released and now works with Gu Chu Sum, an organization for political prisoners in Dharamsala.

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