Ordinary stories...
Interview of Piero VERNI
to Tenzin CHOEKYI (nun, 26 years)
As a child I did go to a School, but since the School is really very far located and due to family poverty, it was not possible to continue. So I left School to help my parents. I was born in Tsoshun village which is two and half hour drive from Lhasa. In 1988, I joined Nieuchung nunnery, one of the oldest nunnery. Chinese destroyed this nunnery but later it was rebuilt by group of nuns. I know that this nunnery is extremely poor in facilities but the nuns are very united and courageous.
The facilities were very poor. Every daily needs have to be brought into the nunnery by the nuns. There is no teacher to teach and guide us, moreover there is hardly time even for self study. In order to maintain nunnery, nuns must go to beg for food etc. We must get woods for cooking, materials for renovations like slates, food etc. have to be carried alteast 2 kms. away from the nunnery. Chinese do not allow us to move around freely, even as per rule, we have the residential certificates, we were denied access to move freely within Tibet. This made me very sad. I have also realised that Tibet is totally different from China, in language, in dresses and also in behaviour. So I made it a point to show my feelings. I also realised that without political stability, there will be no redligious freedom. Chinese always tells us, safeguard or preserve religion, revolt spldittism. But being nun I have experincedd that there is no religious rights and freedom which Chinese claim. So we were six nuns who gathered and
protested against Chinese rule in front of Lhasa Bakhor, we barely covered a few steps,1989, October 14, I was arrested and imprisoned for three years until 1992 Oct. 14. Upon arrest they beat us and put like animals one on another in an army jeep. They interrogated. They wanted to know who led us and who told us to demonstrate. Two months after I was released I visited nunnery. When the nuns saw me they pleaded me to remain. Since according to Chinese Law after any nun or monk were imprisoned they cannot return to Monastery, I explained the reaction they would have to face. They repeated told me not to worry. They said, we have not received a single coin from Chinese government towards restoration and maintenance of this nunnery, so why should we oblige to their rules. We remain in the nunnery in order that you and the others imprisoned could unite with us and this nunnery functions smoothly. In 1988 when I joined nunnery, we were around 90 nuns. In 1992 when I visited there were only 6 nuns. Around 10 has
left of their own to visit their parents in remote villages. Anyway, Chinese made it impossible for me to rejoin nunnery. Their words are 'they (political prisoners) have brain disease and this disease will harm monastery. Not only they objected to my readmission, they took my uncle for interrogation land my home was searched thoroughly.So on December 1, 1993 I escaped Tibet to India.
During my interrogation, I told the Chinese Tibet was an independent country. They were very angry at me and asked me to give a brief account from 7th century when the Chinese princess was married by Tibet's King Songtsen Gampo. They claimed that this marriage is the binded Tibet to be an inseparable part of China, this is very clear from the history. To which I replied, in this case, even the princess of Nepal was married to our King Songtsen Gampo, does it mean part of Tibet should belong to Nepal. According to this history if Nepal and China takes Tibet half and half, what will be the position of Tibet. I asked this officer, If you have a sister and if she was sent off to be married, does the property of that boy becomes your property ? No. There is relationship between China and Tibet, but Tibet was independent, its never a part of China. They immediately started to hit me, using electric rod etc. Then the lunch time came, they went to eat and kept us outside in hot sun, unfortunately, during the demonst
ration, we wore extra clothes to help get lesser hurt when we receive beatings. After lunch, they came. We were all sweating.
They tied us upside down, use electric batton on our breast and other sensitive areas. The harrasing and beating continued for a few hours. Then we were put in a cell for half month without any mattress or blankets, with very meager food. Then they declared our sentences, four of us were sentenced to three years, one each received 8 and 9 years. The other two received 8 and 9 years because both of them at the nunnery were always with some responsibilities. They have also been head of group of tens. They were bravely replying during the Re-education sessions held in the village from time to time. So Chinese considered them to be main people inciting and organising demonstration. Those two were sent to Drapchi prison and we were kept in Gutsa prison. I spent two and half years in Gutsa and another six months in Tonlung.
In Gutsa they took out our blood. Food is meagre. Beatings were constant. I can testify that once you are prisoner, your health will never be good. (see her interview translated word to word for the rest). Chinese built offices but at the cost of people, e.g. money for workers salary were collected from the public, bricks, stones, wood must be contributed by people and often people must go to work in these constructions without receiving any salaries. I have witnessed this in my own village and I am quite confident they follow the same in other parts of Tibet. The Chinese claim that they help restore monasteries is nonsense. In monasteries and nunneries, we must pay tax. Only in Tsuklagkhang and Tse, Chinese are providing an extremely little amount towards maintenance. This portion is nothing compared to what they collect from other monasteries and nunneries. Their claim to have rebuilt many monasteries is baseless. They knew that as buddhist, specially being vowed not to take ny life, they sent nuns and mon
ks to kill pigs to break our vows. Because of these tortures and beatings, I have problem in my head even today. When I concentrated hard on my studies, my head started to spin and ache. I am not same in my health as before.
