In June of 2010 a number of DGI members had the opportunity to escort Geshe-la back to India. During our visit we had the opportunity to meet a number of incredible people. During our stay at Dharamsala we were taken care of by Trisong Dorjee, a relative of Geshe Rabgey. Throughout our visits he spoke highly of his brother, Lhamo Kyab and shared with us the following story. We found it very powerful and moving as asked to post it on the website to give a first hand account of the Tibetan plight. We tried to find pictures of Lhamo that fit the tone of the story, but could only find one photograph of him not smiling in all our pictures (and that was after hiking up the side of a mountain, and even then he quickly turned to a smile). So we added a number of pictures of his family instead. The following is his story in his own words, with no editing from us.

 The Tale of Pain

By Lhamo Kyab

In 2006, my mother came from Tibet to meet me, the year when the Kalachakra Initiation was held at Amaravati (South India). Later I was able to bring my two elder children from Tibet to India and got reunited with my entire family. After the reunion with my family, I felt it is wrong to live my life with idle complacency. Keeping in mind the advice given to us by His Holiness the Dalai Lama on the importance of every Tibetan's responsibility for the cause of Tibet and the need for individual responsibility to work for the cause of Tibet. As a result with a view to do something for the cause of Tibet and feeling that the time is ripe for me to do that, I decided to go back to Tibet coinciding with my mother's return to Tibet. I made a commitment to do something for my country.

Later in 2006, when the time came for my mother to return to Tibet, I traveled to Nepal with her in the end of March to reach her till there. After my mother left Nepal to Tibet, I planned to go to Tibet. But I felt that going to Tibet all by myself is not a very good idea. If the Chinese arrest me on my way to Tibet and do away with me secretly, nobody will know that I have gone to Tibet and got arrested, which will be a futile thing to happen. So I went to the Tibetan Reception Center in Nepal and shared my plan with the late Machu Gonpo Dhondup. I told him all about my secret plans when I go to Tibet and if accomplish in my plans, I requested him to contact the Voice of America and spread the news around the world to which he agreed with willingness. And even gave me some useful advice which boosted my venture. Then along with a friend of mine who acted as a guide for escapees from Tibet to Nepal, I crossed Sha Khumpo and went into Tibet. That time my friend asked me the reason why I decided to return to Tibet. I lied to him saying that I too was looking for a job to be a guide for the escapees from Tibet to Nepal and didn't share my real intention of going back to Tibet.

Then we reached Lhasa. From Lhasa I went towards Amdo and after a few days reached my homeland Machu. That time I felt strongly that a spy was following me from Lhasa to Machu and thought that I must plan ahead to achieve my goal of coming back to Tibet. At that time I felt though I won't be able to achieve big plan but, to the least I will try to hoist up the National flag of Tibet around the scattered region near my homeland Machu and let them have certain knowledge of our nationality. Having that kind of aim, I carried a big Tibetan National Flag from Nepal.

I don't remember the exact time. To my prediction it was in end of April of that year. On reaching Machu, I contact one of my friend and we decided to meet at some fix place. Then I shared all my plan and intention of my visit to Tibet. Then we decided to hoist up the National flag on Koshang which is situated on Sichuan Province. At that time, from the very beginning I was having a doubt that a spy was following me, I was quite sure that we both will be caught by Chinese. So I planned to contact Mr. Gonpo Dhondup of Nepal and request him to contact the Voice of America, and hoist up the national flag at the same time. Meanwhile I was in constant touch with all those people who are involved in such activity, especially late Mr. Gonpo Dhondup and had telephonic conversation with him many times. At that time I was quite sure of my arrest but was committed to achieve my goal and had vowed not to feel guilty in sacrificing my own life for the cause of Tibet.

On 13 May 2006 around 1:30, I was at my friend home and we have just finished our lunch. We heard a certain unusual strong knock at the door. I felt something wrong. One of the member of the family opened the door, the next moment a fully uniformed policeman entered the room and looked at every comer as if he was searching for something. Again a three people in casual dress entered the room simultaneously after him.

At that time I stand there motionless by looking at the mobile phone that was kept on the table in front of me. But then among the three people in casual dress two of them came forward and held my hand tightly from both sides and I stood up and threw their hand in surprise and asked what I have done? What I have done? Again they held my hand tighter than before and one of them unfolded my trouser upward and covered it on my face and put me to the van. Inside the van one of them held my trouser tightly so that I won't be able to see. After sometime, we reached at certain place and uncovered my head. It seems that I have reached the prison and they beat me severely and detained me for about 11 months, and later I came to know that that particular prison was a kind of detention center situated near the Sera monastery.

At that time I tried to pull back my hands with all my strength but I was unable to do so as there were two people holding my hand tightly. And in hurry and disturbances I cannot think anymore except that I have been arrested. I don't exactly remember the exact feeling but one thing is for sure that I had a difficulty in breathing when they covered my head with my shirt. During that the police were having conversation on their phone and it seems to me that they were trying to inform other police about my arrest. I felt if in case I succeed in escaping from them I had no chance in escaping from others. I made up my mind and I promise within that I would bring no harm to my friend and his family.

Then when I reached the prison, they took me into a room and made me remove all my clothes and gave me a set of uniform to put on with a yellow top. They kept all my possession, money and other things and were asked to sign on a piece of paper. As I was illiterate, they took my fingerprint. At that time I didn't ask them why are they doing so, as I was quite about the possible consequences of my activity rather I was quite disappointed as I was unable to do it according to my plan, And again from there, I was taken to another room. That room was very spacious with a table on the right. There were some men at the table and in front of the table was a special chair on which I was asked to sit. It was an iron chair with all the legs pitched down on the earth to make it stationary. And there was an iron chain tied round the chair. One of the Chinese officials joined the left side of the chain to the right enclosing me inside the chair and locked it up and made me unmovable. They then started interrogating me.

They asked about my identity, name and homeland as such. I intentionally lied them and told them, I am Dorjee from Golok (Amdo). On hearing this one of the officer who stands next to me slapped me hard on my face and said, do you think you can fool us? We have picked you up from your town like one takes meat from the noodles. Hey asked me to reveal the truth.

Despite of their constant beating and threat, I insist on saying I am Dorjee. Then again one of the officials unlocked the chain from the chair and took me to stand erect against the wall with my hands stretched in front. I couldn't stand that way for long and so I put my hands down. Seeing me with my hands down, all the officials stood up and walked towards me and kicked me everywhere on my body as if I was a football. I collapsed on the floor and they told me to get up but I couldn't and so again they beat me and made me suffer terribly. After beating me up for nearly twenty minutes, they were too tired themselves and stopped hitting me. And again they pulled me up from the collapsing position and put me back on the iron chair and tied me up with the chains. They asked me whether I had any relatives in Lhasa to which I answered in the negative. The police official held me from my neck with all his strength and pulled me down from the chair and took me outside. I asked myself, "Where are they going to take me now?" What more tortures do they have in store for me?" But he took me to a room next to the one I was taken out and to my surprise in that room I saw my friend with whom I left Nepal to Sha Khampo. He asked me whether I recognized him but I pointed my finger right into his face and replied saying that I didn't know him. The Chinese official kicked me hard on my stomach which gave me a pang of pain on the part where my liver was located. And I again I collapsed on the floor and became almost unconscious for sometimes. I dragged myself into the room when I regained my consciousness and a sharp pain revisited me.

Again the Chinese official dragged me into the previous room and I felt that I was treated more like an animal than a human. And wondered what kind of beings are those Chinese officials who do not have a bit of compassion in them and filled me with sadness. In that room, the Chinese official told the others that though I being a culprit raised my hand to another man. Saying that he again hit me every where on my body and this time again I was hit on my liver and stomach so severely and I started bleeding both from my mouth and nose and my face was covered with blood all over. Irrespective of the sight of the blood every where, he kept on hitting me and again for sometimes I lost my consciousness.

They hit me on my liver and stomach. When I gained my consciousness, they asked me to sit on the iron chair and continued with the interrogation. While staring briskly I tried to wipe off the blood stains on my face with my hands. One of them looked at me and asked are you getting angry? He neared his face and said, you can hit me if you are getting angry. Within my anger knew no bound yet I resist with all my effort and that was the biggest resistance so far. After sometime, one of them took my camera and showed me my picture and asked who is it? It is me I replied. Then they showed me some of the pictures of my friend taken at Machu and asked, who is it? And which place is that? I don't know him personally I met him on my way to Lhasa from my homeland and the picture was taken at Nagchu. But he said, the person in the picture is your friend and the place is Machu. In total there where six policemen out of which two of them were female. All of them hit and kicked me on all parts of my body especially the two female were so brutal and kicked me so hard and it seems all of them were specially trained to beat people. But I didn't disclose anything. They returned and send other two policemen to watch over me and they started with the interrogation. The next morning along with one of the female police, a new officer came and interrogated me but I insist on repeating with the same answer.

For about six days and night they detained me in that cell and was interrogated by different Chinese police. On the very first day of the interrogation they beat me severely and though they didn't beat me up on rest of the day but during the course of interrogation, some of them gets angry and used to hit me and says, why still don't you accept? where do you think you are? If they continue to beat me up, I thought I would die in the prison as I had a severe pain on my liver but was not having any kind of regret in dying.

When they beat me up on the first day I had a pain but on the second night the condition get worsen and I had no other alternative so I told them but they seem to have no interest and concern towards my health condition. I am totally convinced that I am going to die in the prison but I have no regret in that. After three days I was again kept in prison and my health condition was so pathetic that I cannot eat properly. Though I was referred to the hospital but then the Doctor of the hospital were also linked with them. I even don't have right to know about my illness. Gradually my condition got worsened day by day and again they referred me to the hospital and tied a chain around me the bed of the hospital. They told me looking at the symptoms of your illness it seems that you are suffering from appendicitis and need to be operated or else you will die and they won't be responsible for it. They made me sign on a piece of paper. I shouted at them saying, my illness is only because of your torture and I denied of having appendicitis and I deny to sign on that paper. Seeing no alternatives I was again taken to the prison.

Generally they follow a Chinese tradition way of treating and operation. I doubt that if in due course they do away with me, it would be like suicide. One day they said, It had been almost twenty days since we are interrogating and you should think carefully or else you will suffer more. They said, our men have been following you right from the Lhasa and we have enough proof of your identity, with whom I came, your intention so and so. I told them I came from India. Then they tried to console me and if I disclose them about all my plan and keep linked with them, then they would help me and there would be a good future if I obey what they say. But I didn't tell them anything at all except that I came from India.

Anne, Keith, Jason, Nyima, Trisong, Lhamo's wife, and Ngawang. 

Trisong with Keith, Anne, and Jason with beautiful mountains behind them. By far the best hike you could ever take!!!

This is inside the Norbulinka Institute, which is were Trisong works. They provide training in traditional Tibetan wood carving, metal work, painting, and so on. If you are interesting in getting a wonderful item, and want to support Tibetans in the process, please visit the institute's website at www.norbulingka.org

 Lhamo's son, Nyima.

 Anne, Lhamo's wife, Lhamo, Nygmo, Trisong, Ngawang, Keith

 Lhamo, Trisong, and Nyima about to eat everyone's food!!!

No reason for this picture outside showing how beautiful Dharmasala is!!!