Venerable Palden Gyatso visit Seattle on May 14 and 15. Venerable Gyatso is a 64 year old Tibetan Buddhist monk who was arrested at his monastery in 1959 and spent over 24 years in prisons and labor camps in Tibet. While imprisoned, he was tortured frequently - losing 20 teeth in one beating. He was able to acquire some implements of torture that is used in prisons in Tibet and smuggled them out when he fled Tibet in 1992.

Venerable Gyatso has just completed the March for Tibet's Freedom which began on May 10 in front of the Chinese Embassy in Washington DC and ended on April 24 in New York. The March was led by Venerable Gyatso and Professor Thubten Norbu, elder brother of His Holiness the Dalai Lama.

Venerable Gyatso is now on a North American tour to "let the outside world know what is happening in Tibet."

Programs in Seattle include:

Tuesday, May 14 (6-8pm)

Reception in Honor of Venerable Palden Gyatso

"Tibetan Portrait" exhibit and booksigning

Performance by Nyechen Thangla Seattle's Tibetan Dance Troupe Benham Gallery (1216 1st Ave)

$10 donation

RSVP: 547-1015

Wednesday, May 15 (7-9pm)

Public Address by Venerable Palden Gyatso

Slide Presentation by Phil Borges

Kane Hall #120

University of Washington

$5 donation

For information, call (206) 547-1015.

Venerable Palden Gyatso's visit to Seattle is sponsored by the Tibetan Rights Campaign and his visit to North America is sponsored by the International Tibet Independence Movement.

Submitted by trcseattle@igc.apc.org (Tibetan Rights Campaign - Seattle)