He has disappeared for 2 years, and his parents pressumed he is dead. Years have passed and the family returned to their normal life. The fearful memories of March 14 have been stowed away. When everything seems to be ok, a twist to the tale unfolded. The dead has resurrected, and thereby disturbing the mental peace of Nitsongtsang family unlike anything before.
Gyaltsen Lhongtok, a twenty four year old man has disappeared during the
March 14, 2008, Lhasa uprising. Like thousands of Tibetans vanished within days, Gyaltsen was also pressumed to have perished admist the rain of the Chinese bullets. His family had no word of his whereabout , they didnt dare to inquer the Chinese for fear of backlash. They didnt go out to seek his corpse, because at the time, whoever looks for protesters,will invariably be incriminated by the Chinese. In such an intimidating atmosphere, the relationship between the family and Gyatlsen was insignificant. It was for the best interest of the family to forget it.
Gyaltsen's parents originally hailed from Kham Zogan but lived in Lhasa. Gyaltsen has a reputation of outgoing personality and nortorious for his disobedience. He is known be be a loafer. Someone who hops around aimlessly. But March 14, presented him a historical opportunity of epic porportion to vent out his simmering resentment agains the Chinese rule.
Two years after, Gyaltsen's family finally learnt that he has not perished. He is held at a Chushug prison near Lhasa. Like any Tibetan political prisoners, he got a whopping sentence of 10 years of imprisonment presumablly on charges of "state subversion"..
His case is a stark evidence that there was no due precess in the Chinese court of law. His trial was kept in secrecy. No family informed, no lawyer to defend his case.
Two years later, when his family was notified that their son is alive in prison,,relatives were allowed to visit him.They could talk to him over phone in the prison between glasses of wall. Gyaltsen didnt share much at this brief encounter with his family. The relatives couldnt make out much from this meeting, but they could sense the brutal beating he has sustained, and the harrowing experience that Gyaltse goes through in the darkness of prison. However, to the family Gyaltsen appeared to be composed, and confident.
A day will come when all the dead will resurrect like Gyaltsen did. Even those who are departed for good, their depature was not in vain. They had a dignified life and an honourable death. Their resisting spirit will live on.
Saturday, May 1, 2010
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