Published by: World Tibet Network News Saturday, December 6, 1997

The Calgary Herald, Friday, December 5, 1997

by Gordon Legge

Tibetan Buddhist monk Palden Gyatso has been described as "the monk they could not break."

Gyatso, who is speaking at the University of Calgary tonight, spent 33 years in prison in Chinese -occupied Tibet before escaping in 1992.

He arrived in Calgary on Thursday carrying a small white and blue patterned cotton bag containing a handful of torture devices - knives, electric prods, hand- and thumb-cuffs - that he and others smuggled out of the country during his escape.

"The punishments and hardships I went through are being experience by Tibetan political and prisoners today," Gyatso said in an interview, translated by Nima Dorjee, president of the Canada-Tibet Committee. "In fact, it's even worse today." The diminutive monk came to Canada to talk about human rights issues at the Asia-Pacific Economic Conference in Vancouver two weeks ago.

He criticized the conference's refusal to discuss human rights and the reception given to Chinese president Jiang Zemin during his Canadian visit.

"I noticed the Canadian government and the Canadian people seemed to be at opposite ends," he said.

While he's grateful for the way the Canadian government has treated Tibetan refugees, he would like Canadians to be more informed about Tibetan conditions, especially human rights violations.

"Conditions are getting worse," he said. For instance, Tibetans can be imprisoned for 10 years for holding the country's red, blue and yellow Tibetan flag.

In custody, they are not even interrogated; just beaten and tortured by police, he said.

Prisoners are then taken to a detention centre where they may stay for up to six months before trial.

Once imprisoned, they are only allowed one visitor from their family, who must be photographed and given identificaiton. Even then, the family is not informed of the prisoner's whereabouts.

The visitor, who cannot be changed, usually is allowed about five minutes visiting time and must pay a fee, amounting to about six days wages, for the privilege. Occasionally, a prisoner is taken aside and questioned. "Is Tibet part of China?"

If the prisoner answers no, he is tortured and beaten. "You want independence, here it is," his captors yell.

He's heard of prisoners who have been whipped with nettles and then had hot chili powder rubbed into their skin.

If a prisoner is executed at the hands of Chinese authorities, the family is billed for the rope and bullets, he said.

Gyatso's story is told in a new book, Fire Under the Snow - Testimony of a Tibetan Prisoner (General, $34.95).

In it, Gyatso, 64, documents the torture and numerous beatings (thamzing) he and others endured while imprisoned for participating in a demonstration.

After he escaped, the Dalai Lama asked him to tell his story to the world. Since then, he's been a planetary pilgrim with Tibetan support organizations and Amnestey International, whose letter-writing campaign he credits with saving his life.

In 1995, he gave evidence at the UN Commission on Human Rights in Geneva. After he leaves Calgary, he flies to London to testify before a British parliamentary committee.

"Only through the interest of people world-wide will there be a peaceful resolution between Tibet and China," he said. "Always be vigilant of human rights violations happening in Tibet."