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DHARAMSHALA : A year ago, Namkyi left her home in Charo village, Tibet, embarking on a ten-day journey with her aunt Tsering Kyi, traversing both day and night until they crossed into Nepal and eventually reached India. Now 24 years old, Namkyi recounts her harrowing experience of being imprisoned for a year by Chinese authorities.They had apprehended her and her sister while peacefully protesting against the denial of their religious practices. She was a mere 15 years old at the time and endured over a year in solitary confinement.“I left my family behind to tell the world about the harsh realities we face in Tibet. Human rights violations occur with impunity, and we are constantly viewed with suspicion and disdain. The memories of my days in jail haunt me; at 15, we were subjected to physical abuse by uniformed men, given meagre leftovers for sustenance, and slept in the cold with thin blankets, with no one to turn to for help. Though I was eventually released after a trial, it was under the shadow of threats and warnings,” said a tearful Namkyi in an interview with this newspaper.Both Namkyi and her sister were detained in Tashi Gyalkaling County on charges of “separatist acts against the nation” and supporting the “Dalai clique.”“While in prison, we were forced to undergo military training and study the Chinese constitution. Additionally, we were assigned to labour camps where we manufactured copper wires, cigarette boxes, and watches. Even after serving our prison terms, we were held at a police station in Pema Lhathang, Ngaba County, for a week. My family has been under constant scrutiny ever since,” she added, expressing fears of their potential torture. Namkyi arrived in India in June 2023 and has since been attending a transit school to learn the local language, as her dialect differs from that spoken by Tibetan exiles in India.Shortly after reaching Dharamshala, she was granted an audience with His Holiness the Dalai Lama, an experience she describes as immensely healing. “His Holiness emphasized the importance of preserving our culture and traditions,” she remarked.While Namkyi has endured significant hardship, her story mirrors that of thousands of Tibetan refugees who have risked perilous journeys to flee Tibet. She hopes to travel the world and raise awareness of the severe human rights violations in China, holding onto the belief that justice will one day prevail. ‘Forced to undergo military training’Both Namkyi and her sister were detained in Tashi Gyalkaling County on charges of “separatist acts against the nation” and supporting the “Dalai clique.” “While in prison, we were forced to undergo military training and study the Chinese constitution. Additionally, we were assigned to labour camps where we manufactured copper wires, cigarette boxes, and watches. Even after serving our prison terms, we were held at a police station in Pema Lhathang, Ngaba County, for a week,” she said.
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24-year-old’s great escape from Tibet to India
