Jigme Gyatso
Encyclopedia
Jigme Gyatso is a Tibetan
filmmaker, human rights
activist, and former monk who has been repeatedly imprisoned by the PRC government on charges relating to his activism.
, Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture
, Gansu province. He entered Labrang Monastery
at the age of 14 to become a Buddhist monk
. He has two sisters and a brother, and his brother's son, Sangay Gyatso, has lived with Jigme Gyatso at the monastery from a young age.
He was first arrested by authorities following a 2006 trip to meet with the exiled Tibetan leader the Dalai Lama
in India
. On his return, he was immediately detained without charge for forty days before being released for lack of evidence, and over RMB 10,000 in cash intended as a donation to the monastery was allegedly confiscated from him and not returned.
in the making of Leaving Fear Behind, a documentary film which interviewed Tibetan people on their opinions of the Dalai Lama and the Chinese government in the months preceding the 2008 Beijing Olympics. In March, they had completed filming and just smuggled the tapes out of Lhasa
, the Tibetan capital, when riots erupted
and began to spread through Tibetan-majority areas of China. As part of the government response that followed, both Jigme Gyatso and Dhondup Wangchen were detained on March 28 in Tong De, Qinghai Province.
The 25-minute documentary resulting from Dhondup Wangchen and Jigme Gyatso's footage was described by The New York Times
as "an unadorned indictment of the Chinese government". It was compiled from 40 hours of interview footage shot by a single camera. The documentary premiered on the opening day of the Olympics and was clandestinely screened for foreign reporters in Beijing
.
reported that he was believed to be held in a secret prison. Jigme Gyatso was sentenced to seven months in Linxia prison, during which time he was reportedly tortured by prison authorities. He later detailed his allegations in video testimony to Human Rights Watch
:
Jigme Gyatso also stated that he was repeatedly hospitalized as a result of losing consciousness from the beatings.
On 3 September 2008, Jigme Gyatso's video testimony with Human Rights Watch was later replayed by Voice of America
in Tibet. On 4 November, two months later, Jigme Gyatso was rearrested and held for six months without charge. He returned to his monastery on 2 May 2009.
protested the arrests of both men, noting Jigme Gyatso to be at risk of further torture and naming Dhondup Wangchen a prisoner of conscience
. Human Rights Watch, Front Line, The Committee to Protect Journalists, and the Tibetan Center for Human Rights and Democracy all advocated on Jigme Gyatso's behalf.
Tibetan people
The Tibetan people are an ethnic group that is native to Tibet, which is mostly in the People's Republic of China. They number 5.4 million and are the 10th largest ethnic group in the country. Significant Tibetan minorities also live in India, Nepal, and Bhutan...
filmmaker, human rights
Human rights
Human rights are "commonly understood as inalienable fundamental rights to which a person is inherently entitled simply because she or he is a human being." Human rights are thus conceived as universal and egalitarian . These rights may exist as natural rights or as legal rights, in both national...
activist, and former monk who has been repeatedly imprisoned by the PRC government on charges relating to his activism.
Early life
Jigme Gyatso was born in 1966 in the village of Luchang, Jiujia Township, Xiahe CountyXiahe County
Xiahe is a county in Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Gansu province, the People's Republic of China. It is home to the famed Labrang Tibetan Buddhist monastery, one of the largest Tibetan Buddhist monasteries outside of the Tibet Autonomous Region. The town is populated largely by ethnic...
, Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture
Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture
Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture is an autonomous prefecture in southern Gansu Province, China. It includes Xiahe and the Labrang Monastery, Luqu, Maqu, and other mostly Tibetan towns and villages...
, Gansu province. He entered Labrang Monastery
Labrang Monastery
Labrang Monastery is one of the six great monasteries of the Geluk school of Tibetan Buddhism...
at the age of 14 to become a Buddhist monk
Bhikkhu
A Bhikkhu or Bhikṣu is an ordained male Buddhist monastic. A female monastic is called a Bhikkhuni Nepali: ). The life of Bhikkhus and Bhikkhunis is governed by a set of rules called the patimokkha within the vinaya's framework of monastic discipline...
. He has two sisters and a brother, and his brother's son, Sangay Gyatso, has lived with Jigme Gyatso at the monastery from a young age.
He was first arrested by authorities following a 2006 trip to meet with the exiled Tibetan leader the Dalai Lama
Dalai Lama
The Dalai Lama is a high lama in the Gelug or "Yellow Hat" branch of Tibetan Buddhism. The name is a combination of the Mongolian word далай meaning "Ocean" and the Tibetan word bla-ma meaning "teacher"...
in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. On his return, he was immediately detained without charge for forty days before being released for lack of evidence, and over RMB 10,000 in cash intended as a donation to the monastery was allegedly confiscated from him and not returned.
Leaving Fear Behind
In 2007 and 2008, Jigme Gyatso assisted Tibetan filmmaker Dhondup WangchenDhondup Wangchen
Dhondup Wangchen is a Tibetan filmmaker currently imprisoned by the PRC government on charges related to his documentary Leaving Fear Behind...
in the making of Leaving Fear Behind, a documentary film which interviewed Tibetan people on their opinions of the Dalai Lama and the Chinese government in the months preceding the 2008 Beijing Olympics. In March, they had completed filming and just smuggled the tapes out of Lhasa
Lhasa
Lhasa is the administrative capital of the Tibet Autonomous Region in the People's Republic of China and the second most populous city on the Tibetan Plateau, after Xining. At an altitude of , Lhasa is one of the highest cities in the world...
, the Tibetan capital, when riots erupted
2008 Tibetan unrest
The 2008 Tibetan unrest, also known from its Chinese name as the 3•14 Riots, was a series of riots, protests, and demonstrations that started in Tibetan regional capital of Lhasa and spread to other Tibetan areas and a number of monasteries including outside the Tibet Autonomous Region...
and began to spread through Tibetan-majority areas of China. As part of the government response that followed, both Jigme Gyatso and Dhondup Wangchen were detained on March 28 in Tong De, Qinghai Province.
The 25-minute documentary resulting from Dhondup Wangchen and Jigme Gyatso's footage was described by The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
as "an unadorned indictment of the Chinese government". It was compiled from 40 hours of interview footage shot by a single camera. The documentary premiered on the opening day of the Olympics and was clandestinely screened for foreign reporters in Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
.
Trial, release, and re-arrest
Dhondup Wangchen was later sentenced to six years' imprisonment, a sentence he was still serving as of January 2010. Front LineFront Line (NGO)
Front Line or The International Foundation for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders is an Irish-based human rights organisation founded in Dublin, Ireland in 2001 to protect human rights defenders at risk, i.e...
reported that he was believed to be held in a secret prison. Jigme Gyatso was sentenced to seven months in Linxia prison, during which time he was reportedly tortured by prison authorities. He later detailed his allegations in video testimony to Human Rights Watch
Human Rights Watch
Human Rights Watch is an international non-governmental organization that conducts research and advocacy on human rights. Its headquarters are in New York City and it has offices in Berlin, Beirut, Brussels, Chicago, Geneva, Johannesburg, London, Los Angeles, Moscow, Paris, San Francisco, Tokyo,...
:
For a whole month I was kept handcuffed most days and nights. During the interrogation, I was left hanging with my hands tied behind my back. They punched my face and chest. They accused me of having connections with people abroad such as the Dalai Lama, Samdhong RinpocheSamdhong RinpocheSamdhong Rinpoche is a Tibetan religious title. Rinpoche means "precious one". The current Samdhong Rinpoche is Lobsang Tenzin, who is considered by Tibetan buddhists to be the reincarnation of the 4th Samdhong Rinpoche....
[head of the Tibetan government in exile], and Akya Rinpoche [a senior Lama at Kumbum in Qinghai province who defected in 1998 and now lives in the US].
Jigme Gyatso also stated that he was repeatedly hospitalized as a result of losing consciousness from the beatings.
On 3 September 2008, Jigme Gyatso's video testimony with Human Rights Watch was later replayed by Voice of America
Voice of America
Voice of America is the official external broadcast institution of the United States federal government. It is one of five civilian U.S. international broadcasters working under the umbrella of the Broadcasting Board of Governors . VOA provides a wide range of programming for broadcast on radio...
in Tibet. On 4 November, two months later, Jigme Gyatso was rearrested and held for six months without charge. He returned to his monastery on 2 May 2009.
International reaction
Jigme Gyatso and Dhondup Wanghcen's arrests have been condemned by numerous human rights groups. Amnesty InternationalAmnesty International
Amnesty International is an international non-governmental organisation whose stated mission is "to conduct research and generate action to prevent and end grave abuses of human rights, and to demand justice for those whose rights have been violated."Following a publication of Peter Benenson's...
protested the arrests of both men, noting Jigme Gyatso to be at risk of further torture and naming Dhondup Wangchen a prisoner of conscience
Prisoner of conscience
Prisoner of conscience is a term defined in Peter Benenson's 1961 article "The Forgotten Prisoners" often used by the human rights group Amnesty International. It can refer to anyone imprisoned because of their race, religion, or political views...
. Human Rights Watch, Front Line, The Committee to Protect Journalists, and the Tibetan Center for Human Rights and Democracy all advocated on Jigme Gyatso's behalf.