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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