Palden is waiting for me in his room at the Lung-Ta House, a place for ex political prisoners in Dharamsala. He looks healthy and friendly although his face denotes certain permanent preoccupation. He starts telling me his story from the beginning, when he was born in PhengPo, a small village in Tibet.

'I was only 13 years old when I participated in a Pro Tibet demonstration in the streets of Lhasa with some friends. It was May 13th 1992. We were sixteen people in total protesting against the illegal Chinese occupation. Police came and arrested all of us using brute force. I was retained in Gutcha Detention Center for five months waiting for trial. Then when it finally happened I was sentenced to six years imprisonment in Drapchi prison.'

He tells me how during the time of arrest he was seriously tortured by the Chinese authorities using electric prods on his body and beatings with rods.
Drapchi is one of the largest prisons in Tibet and well known for being a place of torture. In the prison there are different kinds of criminals, and political prisoners are considered the worst of them by the Chinese authorities. They are secluded from the other kinds of prisoners in an attempt to prevent propagation of their 'dangerous' ideals.

'Once in Drapchi prison the beatings continued. For the all six years I had to do hard military physical exercises whether it was winter or summer.'

Life inside the prison was very hard due to the physical exercises and the continuously forced work. The work was mainly to grow vegetables in the fields near the prison.

'In groups of two persons, we were made to work hard in order to reach certain extent of vegetables, otherwise we were severely punished. This work was only for the first three years, later when conditions inside the prison got worse, we were not allowed to go outside.'

Apart from physical exercise and hard work, they also had to learn Chinese culture which was taught inside the prison. Propagandist books described the history of Tibet as if Tibet had always been part of China. This was the only kind of 'education' taught inside the prison.

He continues talking about the May 1998 events.

'In 1998, from May 1st to May 4th there were big problems inside the prison. The Chinese authorities planned to hoist a Chinese flag on the main prison ground due to the Youth Day, an important Chinese festival. We the Tibetan political prisoners inside the prison protested against the hoisting of the Chinese flag and this lead to big riots. As a result many political prisoners were beaten at that time. Many others were put in isolation confinements, specially those who lead the protests. Many others like me were just taken away to the cells at that time.'

'Conditions inside the prison changed dramatically after this event. Just on May 4th, when the Chinese flag was being hoisted, political prisoners were put in the extreme corners of the prison surrounded by Chinese authorities. There were again more riots against the hoisting of the Chinese flag and more punishments. One of the prisoners, a monk from Nagchu, committed suicide.'

'Then the Chinese authorities separated us into two groups. One group was formed by the new prisoners who had arrived recently to the prison. The other group was formed by the old prisoners. My group was locked in a big room and we started to bang the doors as a way of protesting. Then what happened is that jail authorities started to shoot us. Many prisoners where injured but specially a young one who was shot in the stomach. He was bleeding badly and we pleaded to the authorities to give him proper medical attention. I don't know that happened to him.'

Palden was released from prison shortly after the incidents on May 13th. His terms were completed. After that he was eager to stay in Tibet but the Chinese government always monitored his movements.

'I was not allowed to go out of my house for one year. The authorities often came to my house to check. Chinese always look at the political prisoners as enemies of the State. Whenever there was a Chinese festival going on I had to stay away. Eventually I managed to find some manual jobs like carpenter and house painter. But this was not enough, I couldn't find any better job because of my ex prisoner condition. People were afraid of getting into trouble by employing me. Also friends had fear of being arrested if they contacted me. Life became very difficult and I decided it was time for me to escape to India.'

In November 2006 he paid 4,000 Chinese Yens to a guide who took him to Shakhumpu, on the Nepal border. The journey was eighteen days long, walking on foot through the Himalayas.

'I arrived to the Tibetan Reception Center in Kathmandu, where I was sent to Delhi and then from there to Dharamsala. I knew about Dharamsala as the place where the Tibetan Government in exile had settled.'

When asked about the Olympic Games his answer is very clear: The situation in Tibet will be much worse.

'I have not hope for the Olympic Games. Once they are finished, the situation will be worse because many more Chinese soldiers had moved already into Tibet. However I have hope for the recent talks between the Dalai Lama and the Chinese authorities. Hopefully this and many other future talks will bring some light into Tibet future.'

Palden's family is still in Tibet, they live as farmers in their village. It's been almost seven months since he last communicated with them. He stopped the phone talks afraid of consequences for his family because he heard of some political investigations taking place.

'I like living here in Dharamsala. There is freedom and that I can enjoy since I couldn't express my political opinions in Tibet as I do here.'

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Further reading:
Drapchi, a history written in blood
The May 1998 protest at Drapchi