Ben Ba Tsering, manager of Gu Chu Sum School in McLeod Ganj, Dharamsala, India
By Denis John Burke (denis)
During an October visit to Dharamsala, Himachal Pradesh in northern India, I discovered more than a small Indian town. Dharamsala is also the current home of the Tibetan government in exile and a large community of the Tibetan Diaspora.
Most Tibetans who leave their homeland wind up here at some stage, many just to see the Dali Lama before moving on somewhere else.
Some of those who arrive, however, have been deprived of a formal education at home and several organizations have come into existence to give them a starting point. The different schools around Dharamsala help newly arrived refugees with language classes and computer skills.
Gu Chu Sum (named to mark the dates of the most successful protests in Lhasa) is one such school but with a little difference in that it is part of an international movement that caters mainly towards Tibetan ex-political prisoners. Since China occupied Tibet in 1949, Tibetans have been imprisoned by the thousands, often for little more than practicing their religion or supporting the Dalai Lama.
I met Ben Ba Tsering, a manager of Gu Chu Sum in McLeod Ganj, Dharamsala in late October 2005. Our interview was translated by Dic Kyi.
What is your current role here in Dharamsala and when did you leave Tibet?
Mainly I work as a manager. We have two small tailoring sections here in Gu Chu Sum which deal in handicrafts for tourists and I help manage them and the daily administration of the office. I came to exile in 1992 and I’ve been mostly living in Nepal since. I moved to Dharamsala in September 2004 and I was elected as the manager here shortly after for a three year term. I joined the Gu Chu Sum movement in Nepal as soon as I came to exile. Gu Chu Sum was formed by ex-political prisoners and people who organized the protests in Lhasa in the late ’80s. I joined this movement as I was an ex-prisoner.
And what did you do in Tibet before coming into exile?
I was a painter and artist, my parents ran a small business.
Why were you imprisoned?
Between late 1987 and 1989 I took part in protests in Tibet. As a painter I drew a Tibetan national flag and marched with it. In 1989 I was arrested with my brother and we were charged as counter-revolutionaries. The charge of counter revolutionary activity has recently been changed to ‘threats against the stability of the state’. My brother remains in Tibet.
How long were you in prison and can you tell me a little about the conditions?
I was there for more then three year and I was moved constantly between prisons; Utra tue, Old Sedo, New Sedo, Drap Chi and Pawo Tramo. Normally for political prisoners these shifts occur from small prisons to big prisons. However, in my case many protests actually took place within the prisons so they tried to move us all away from each other. One university student actually died in the course of these protests.
How many students do you normally have here in Gu Chu Sum Dharamsala?
Every year there are roughly 15 fulltime students. They consist of the families of ex-political prisoners and the ex-political prisoners themselves. Where they end up after their graduation varies widely.
In 2008, Beijing is due to host the International Olympic Games. How do you think Tibetans could use this opportunity to bring international pressure to bear on their cause?
Usually the games are a good thing. I do not expect much international pressure just because of this though. If the feeling existed in the rest of the world to put this kind of pressure on China then they would not been given the chance to host the games in the first place. If their human rights record was going to be an issue they almost certainly wouldn’t have been allowed to host them. Hopefully though it will provide Tibetans with a platform to protest at least.
How do you think most Tibetans you work with feel about the Dalai Lama’s Middle Way approach? (This approach advocates peaceful cooperation with Beijing and high Tibetan autonomy while recognizing China’s claims to Tibet.)
As an ex-political prisoner, there is always the goal of an independent or free Tibet, that was why we protested after all. Yes His Holiness’s plans call for restraint but if we think about it rationally Tibet does not have the means to take arms against China. The Middle Way approach is, realistically, the only option. Those Tibetans who seek complete independence don’t protest, generally, against the Dalai Lama’s policies because there are not the arms or forces to do otherwise.
Do you meet many ex-political prisoners who would resort to violent resistance under other circumstances?
If we were offered arms against the Chinese we would have to consider that the situation is very different to how it was before the 1980s. After the major protests centered around Lhasa there is a bigger army presence in Tibet and the borders are much more heavily guarded. So it would be very difficult at this time.
In general Tibetans have a strong will to fight against the Chinese and it can be quite difficult to live in India, but such an armed resistance could not have a positive result. Some would resort to violence yes, but they have restraint, as they know it won’t work. Particularly during March 1959 there was armed resistance, the major event being Operation Mustang, involving the Tibetan government in exile, the CIA and the Indian government. Tibetans were trained in guerrilla warfare but eventually the operation was finished and hadn’t much effect.
How would you hope Gu Chu Sum would affect people who study here?
It spreads political activism. It was formed to be a center point for a mass base of activists. Others learn certain skills which help them to earn their own livelihood. For those who have problems with their health we assist them with medical expenses and assist them with caretakers as many have no English or Hindi and so can’t rely on local services. For the elderly we support them with monthly allowances so they can lead normal lives.
Thousands of tourists pass through Dharamsala every year. How do they interact with Tibetans and what would you like to see them bring home with them?
In Dharamsala we have many different kinds of tourist so generalizations are convenient. Many come to learn, many are just out of college. Many are also well aware of Tibet’s issues and come to learn more and some are just tourists who come to enjoy the mountains. I would hope that they would take home a good image of Tibet, tell others about the conditions in China and generally pass the message on.
