onk challenges
na to debate

rom page

momad to artisan to fama, cre-

mate a keyhole through which
ve glimpse a way of life that
as remained unchanged for
5200 years.

Gyatso is hopeful chat it
ay yet) endure despite
hinese efforts to rip out the

mepuddhist heart of his country

py destroying thousands of

Amonasteries and jailing the
onks and nuns or sending
hem to labor camps.

* is in Vancouver lor

Summit, going

Bin alongside the AVEC lead-

7 summit, where he has
been participating in some of

sessions relating to human
ights “trying to bring aware-
ess Of the woue of Tibet to

ce delegates.”

If the Bowen audience is

ypical he has probably. s
ceeded, The room is hus:
ind the adults are perceptibly
leaning forward, straining not
O miss a word of Gyatso’s

mstory, from Tibetan translator
Bhuchung Tsering.

“These days countries of
the world scem to believe that
trade relationships have the
highest importance and so
they ignore the human rights

SUES.

“I have been in prison for
33 long years curing which I

inderwent different forms of
uffering that is unimaginable.

“There have been cases

here Tibetan prisoners have
been. burnt ‘or even boiled

M alive. I myself have seen some
f them.”

: Even the toddlers are

@ quiet, reacting to the atmos-

phere in the room as Gratso
unwraps from his cotton
shoulder bag two types of
electric batons, or cattle
prods, which he

faverite form of torture in
Tibetan prisons.

“This is thrust into the
mouth of prisoners and, in the
case of women, even into their
private parts.”

He unashamedly removes
his dentures to show us a
mouth with no remaining
teeth and a permanently dam-
aged tongue.

Gyatso’ s full story is
chronieted in his recently pub-
lished autobiography Fire
Under the Snow,

In the strongest voice he
Will use all evening he s
would like to catege
state thar what is written in
this book is nothing but the
truth.

“I say this because in

cent days © authori-
ties have been saying that |
have been indulging in false-
hood and propaganda.

“Ifthe Chinese authorities
are really sure that what [ have
written is falsehood | would
like to issue them this chal-
lenge to come and d $
with me whether I am saying
the truth or not.

“We could even go to the
United Nations if that is pos-
sible.”

While imprisoned, Gyatso
was told Canada had becor
a communist country.

Ir was part of a systematic
effort to mentally as well as
physically destroy the hope of
political prisoners.

Instead, Gyatso contrived

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to write more political posters
while retusing to admit he had
been a “splitrist™ and seen the
error of his ways.

uld have been
shot (aad his family made to
pay for the bullets used in his

haternsational, unbeknowns
to him, had adopted his
cause,

He was finally released
from prison in 1992 and later
thar same vear escaped trom
Tibet to Dharamsala, where
the exiled Dalai Lama gave
him the tape machine on
which he recorded the 300
hours of his story.

Gyatso tells us he believes
his country could be free in as
little as nvo or thr
international pressure is main-
tained on China.

“There are more and more
human rights organizations
and [| see this as a hops ful

n. Also, the struggle of the
Tibetan people is based in
truth and justice and I believe
truth must triumph ultimate-
ly.

“The Chinese bave used
force but Tibetans from the
ages of 12 to 90 continue to
go to prison for the cause of a
tree Tibet.”

The lite monk is not all
stern politics. When a News
reporter contributes to the
cost of the water-taxi ride
home he pockets the change
and rubs his head, grinning
hugely.

He still has enough money
to shave that peach fu

His enjoyment of the wild
ride across the dark and chop-

vears if

TIBETAN monk Paiden Gyatso spent 33 years in

FAV AIUABUESONSTHENN Ey
hittp/wwrwnmews.com

5 PEMBERTON AVE, N. VAN’
0285; 0234. in

NEWS photo Martin Mitlerchip

Chinese prisons for his political beliefs.

py waters is infectious, but he
is the first to jump ashore.

He strides up the dock’s
amp faster than the rest of us
can keep up.

A mother of veung
teenagers whispers in awe
“Look at him, It’s amazing!

He’s been in jail for most of

ny life.”

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