From: Tibet-Relay@gnosys.svle.ma.us
Newsgroups: soc.culture.china
Subject: Re: Death of A Monk
Date: 7 Apr 92 07:52:00 GMT
Reply-To: tibet.info@gnosys.svle.ma.us

Original-Sender: robbieb@gn.apc.org

Tibet Information Network/News Update/5th April 1992 pt3

Full Text of Champa Tenzin Statements

This is an edited translation of Champa Tenzin's statement given in Spetember
1991, in which he talked about his reasons for taking part in the
demonstration of October 1987, and his dealings with the police afterwards.
Additional explanations from a statement which he wrote three years earlier
are added in square brackets.

"[After shouting that Tibet is an independent country, I threw stones at the
Chinese police. What I did was not in violation of my religious beliefs. I did
it to save and protect others. I ran into the fire to save others and at the
same time to sacrifice myself as a protest against the Chinese.

"About 20 of us went inside. A lot were arrested. The prisoners had been taken
to another part of the building because of the fire. Some had died. If the
ordinary people had intervened, all of them could have died.

"Once I got outside, I felt that I had to continue to protest. I had already
risked my life.

"I fell into the flames. When I was burned I didnt feel anything, I was almost
unconscious. When the people picked me up I remember shouting "Tibet is
independent" and "Long Live His Holiness the Dalai Lama". While they were
carrying me on their shoulders through the Barkor I didn't know what was
happening.] The pain I felt from my burns should have been of some benefit to
the Tibetan people.

At the time I said that there was no point in me going to hospital; I wanted
to go on the demonstration. Most of the people and my relatives were urging me
to go to the hospital. I said that there was no point in me going there. Today
I wanted to go on the demonstration - I didn't get burned because I wanted to
go to a hospital, I got buned because I wanted to take part in a
demonstration. In any case, if I went to the hospital I would be putting
myself in the hands of the Chinese. So I might as well as go on the
demonstration. This is what happened at the time.

"So that day we went on the demonstation and as you know the Chinese opened
fire on us, so we were only able to circle the Barkor once. When they started
to shoot people said many people would be killed, and that we could not go any
further. Because of my burns they wanted to take me to the Tsuglhakhang [the
Jokhang Temple], but I said that that was not a day for going to the Temple:
it was a day for demonstrating.

"Afterwards they took me to the work unit doctors. But they were so frightened
that they did not want to treat me because it would place them in danger. So
they took me bakc to my room in the Tsuglhakhang, and then to some of my
relatives. [Later some Europeans provided medicine, and I was hidden by my
relatives in their house for nearly two weeks.] They looked after me in
secret.

[Editor's note: The Chinese authorities broadcast on the radio an offer of
partial amnesty, promising leniency to any demonstrators and to the people who
were hiding them if they were turned in before 15th October.]

"I told my relatives that there wass no point me staying like that, there was
no way that I could escape in the end. I told them that as soon as the Chinese
found out they would all be persecuted, and said that I had to give myself up
to the Chinese. I would be imprisoned, but I promised them that once in prison
I would not speak about anyone who had helped me.

"So on 13th October I turned myself over to the people in power, and they came
to arrest me.

["They came with about fourteen policemen in uniform and took me to a
hospital. There were both Tibetan and Chinese policemen, but it was the
Chinese who gave the orders.]

"When they came they found that they could not touch me because of the burns.
The Chinese said that I could not stay like that, and that they had great
concern for the well being of the people, and that they were worried that I
might die if I was not moved to a hospital. [...] I said I would not go to the
hospital; I preferred to die there in the house.

"But a doctor from the Public Security Bureau stayed in my relatives' house
until nearly midnight that day. He insisted thaat once an order had come from
the top, there was now nothing anyone could do anything to disobey it. If they
say you have to go to the hospital, there is no way we can help you, he said.


"After he and the others had left I told all my relatives that it would be
better for me to go - the Chinese would not leave me now, and it would be
better if I went whereever it was that they wanted to take me. I told them
that there was no way I could escape from Tibet; it was also unlikely that I
would die. Staying there was only exposing them to more danger. So the next
day they took me to the hospital. [...]

"The Chinese already knew this and had phoned ahead, so that when I got there
they were very courteous and very caring. The reason was that they still
wanted to question me, and so, while I was in the hospital, even though I
needed a lot of treatment, they still came and questioned me.

["They came first to interrogate me three days after I had been admitted in
the hospital and asked me about the demonstration. I was in bed and wasn't
able to stand up. They did not beat me, but their attitude and manner were
extremely hostile. The Chinese interrogator kept accusing me of lying; he said
all my answers were false. They were waiitng to put me in prison as soon as I
got better. They asked who I had met when I was in India, what we had talked
about, what plans had been made for the deomnstration, who had contacted us,
and so on.]

"I told them why I had taken part in the demonstration: I did it for the
independence of Tibet and because this was what the Dalai Lama had called for.
I didn't do it because I was told personally by the Dalai Lama to do this or
that. Yes, I did go to India [in 1985], but I had had no reason to ask for any
private meetings with the Dalai Lama. While I was there, in Bodh Gaya, I heard
with my own ears the Dalai Lama say that the Tibetan fight foir independence
is a fight for truth.

"All those people who took part in the demonstrations did it not for their own
advantage but for the common good of the Tibetan people.  I also took part
because I wanted to do something for the Tibetan people. Those of us who ran
inside the police station did it for the general good of the Tibetan people.
[...]

"Some of the people trapped inside had escaped from the back of the police
station. We escaped through the window by breaking the glass at the back of
the police station. That was how I got burnt. I told the police that I believe
that what we did was right because we did it for the good of the Tibetan
people. I told them that I had nothing to say about people's organisations or
about other people involved or about whether anyone instigated them.

"No-one had told us to demonstrate. The TIbetan cause is a cause for truth and
when you are fighting for truth you cannot wait for someone to tell you to
fight for it. This is what I think, and this is what I told them. And then
afterwards they said that I had to denounce other people. I told them that I
had no names to give them. They said that if I didn't give them other names it
was going to be very difficult. You are young now, you are only 45 years old,
they kept saying. "If you give us other names we will release you
immediately", they said. I told them that I had no names to give and I told
them that dying does not bother me.

["I was kept in the hospital for one month, with two police guards all the
time. At times the pain was excruciating: at other times it subsided.]

"On 10th November I was taken from the hospital to a prison and kept there for
three months. I was asked all sorts of questions again, and there were more
threats. There were over 60 of us all in the prison for the same reason, for
taking part in the demonstration, each in a separate cell. It was called
"Seitru" in Chinese  - Prison Number Four.

"My release came about through the efforts of the Dalai Lama and the work of
friends of freedom and truth.]  Eventually, as you know, the Panchen Lama came
[to Lhasa in January 1988] and said we must hold the Great Prayer ceremony
that March. It was really through his intervention that we were released.
People say this and that, and so many things about him; the Panchen Lama may
have said one thing or another, but in his mind he was for the Tibetan people.
That I thoguht was very good. If people are mentally committed to and prepared
for the struggle, then I think it is alright.

["We did do the Monlam Ceremony that year, on 5th March 1988. I was in my room
in the Jokhang when the Chinese soldiers came. The police hit me on my head
with an electric baton and I was wounded; they hit me all over my body. After
the beating all the other monks were taken to prison, but I was not arrested
beause I was able to get away and hide in a group of workers].

"So personally I went on with the struggle. To fight for the independence for
your country is the duty and the right of each individual. There is no time
for people to talk and for people to listen. There is no time now to sit and
talk because now we live under constant fear.

"I am convinced that truth will prevail."

Letter to the West

Some months after his release from prison in 1988 Champa Tenzin sent by hand a
formal note to the European tourist and doctors who had provided him with
medical help while he was in hiding in October 1987. It could not be published
while he was still alive.

"Dear Friends,

"I thank you profusely for the help and compassion which you showed. The
medicine and the instructions on how to appply them which you gave me at that
time reached me safely. They helped me enormously.

"Most of the officials at the Tsuglhakhang [Temple] suspected me, and because
of the general situation as well eventually I had to come out in the open and
hand myself in.

"Things became much nmore relaxed [after the intervention of the Panchen
Lama], for which I am thankful. But even now people from the Tusglhakhang are
suspicious of what I am doing. There is one elderly monk in particular who has
told me that I should not speak with foreigners; and among the general public
there are many people who are spying on those of us who continue to do these
things.

"These days the Chinese are spreading false rumours about the situation in
Tibet. Many of our people are oppressed and are put into prison, and there are
many spies, all dressed in different types of clothing, among the general
public.

"I thank you for all the help you have given. Until Tibet has become
independent I hope you will continue to give support.

"I would like to thank all those countries who are peace- loving as well as
people like yourselves who have supported us a hundred times. Long live His
Holiness the Dalai Lama! May there be peace in the world, and may Tibet become
independent as soon as possible!

"From the Tibetan capital, Lhasa."

NOTE: Photographs of Champa Tenzin and copies of his letter are available from
TIN.