TIBET: ANI PACHEN DIED IN DHARAMSALA
Press Release of Friends of Tibet India

Courtesy of International Tibet Independence Movement

Ani Pachen or Lemdha Pachen was born in 1933 in Gonjo district in Kham province of Tibet. Her father, Pomdha Gonor, was the Chieftain of Lemdha. When the Chinese soldiers started invading Gonjo district, her father, had started sending men from Lemdha to fight the invading Chinese soldiers in Lower Gonjo. He had distributed a pamphlet to every home listing the number of men, horses, swords and guns each family should contribute.

After her father's death, Pachen took up the responsibility of leading this group of six hundred army and started - off towards Nachen Thang. Most of the families in their village left their homes to fight the Chinese soldiers hoping to move towards Lhasa or flee to the camps of Chushi Gangdruk (Tibetan resistance fighters). Her tribe were captured and taken to Lhodzong, which was a collection center and were later taken to Chamdo prison.

From 1961 to 1963 she was imprisoned at Deyong Nang along with five hundred other Tibetans. Prisoners were beaten and forced to confess their guilt. Pachen's legs were shackled and she was often called for interrogations. She stuffed pieces of cloth between the metal and ankles to ease the cold and the rubbing of the metal. Later, she was transferred to Silthog Thang, a secured prison, situated between Zachu and Ngomchu rivers, where those who were considered guilty of the most serious crimes were sent. In this prison, iron shackles were removed and she was made to wash the clothes of the Chinese soldiers and make bricks out of mud to build new cells in the prison. Ani Pachen was transferred to Drapchi Prison in 1965. She was forced to do military-type exercises and work in the brickyards near Sera Monastery. The prisoners had to dig earth, mix the earth with water to make clay, heat the clay to make bricks. After the bricks were dried, prisoners had to carry 10 bricks at a time. In 1976, shortly after Mao's death Ani Pachen was transferred to the fifth division of Tramo Dzong Labour Camp in Nyingtri. Prisoners of fifth division were sent to work in a forest miles from the prison. She repeatedly sent applications to the Prison authorities that she had not visited her home in twenty years. In 1979, she was granted permission to leave for two months that came as a result of the visit of the delegates from the Tibetan government in exile and the International exposure it gained. After two months, she returned to the labour camp.

Announcement of her release came as a surprise in the first month of 1981. She left for Lhasa, as per Chegye Lama's advice. She worked along with hundreds of other Tibetans, who were volunteering their time, moving earth and stones from the ruins of Gaden monastery. Later, she left for pilgrimage. Ani Pachen was an active participant in all the three major protest demonstrations organized by the monks of Drepung, Sera and Gaden in Lhasa on the 27th September 1987, 1st October 1987 and March 5th 1988 respectively. In order to avoid re-arrest by the Chinese, she escaped into exile in 1989.

Once in exile, Ani Pachen never ceased to work for the freedom struggle. "Sorrow Mountain" - The journey of a Tibetan warrior nun was published with the help of Adelaide Donnelley. Ani Pachen has given lectures about the Tragedy of Tibet and her experiences to hundreds of Tibetan and foreign audiences. She had also participated in Peace Marches in various countries of the world.

She died at the age of 69 at her home in Dharamsala on 2 February 2002 at 6.30 p.m. shortly after she returned from Bodhgaya.

We deeply mourn the loss of Ani Pachen - a brave Tibetan nun who chose to be a warrior than a victim.

Gu-Chu-Sum Movement of Tibet.

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