Another heartbreaking story from Lhamo Tso.

---

Lhamo Tso kindly gave a talk at LIT's weekly Tuesday talks. I really could not hold back the tears for this one. They came flowing uncontrollably! I could never claim to have really suffered after hearing her story. My troubles are incomparable to hers, insignificant even. If you want to continue to bury your head in the sand, stop reading now. If you want to really hear what is going on within the lives of the Tibetan nation, please… continue!

As I explained in my previous blog, Lhamo Tso is the wife of Dhondup, the man who created the documentary named 'Leaving fear behind'. This documentary simply asks the opinions of many Tibetans regarding the forthcoming Olympics in China (as it was filmed in 2008) and other issues in Tibet regarding the Chinese occupation. He did nothing that we would regard as criminal activity. Yet he was swiftly sentenced to 6 years in prison. After serving just a short period of time, he was shipped off to a labour camp in a remote area of Tibet. There he has contracted Hepatitis B, despite him previously being a very healthy man, due to the despicable conditions he has been forced to endure. Despite his health deteriorating he has been given no medical care and is still having to endure hard physical labour. Knowing this is eating Lhamo Tso up alive as she craves nothing more than to be nursing her husband back to health. Thus, not only has he been wrongly imprisoned, but he is also being denied basic human rights and medical care.

Lhamo Tso is missing her husband deeply, as are her 4 children who are living with her here in Mcleod Ganj, a Tibetan colony in India. She wants nothing more than for Dhondup to join her here. She spends virtually every waking moment alone with nothing to occupy her mind from the heartbreaking situation her and her family have been put in. She makes and sells her bread, alone. She lives, alone (as her children live in their school, due to her house being too small to house them all). All she wants is to have her partner by her side. The documentary made about Lhamo tso contains some extremely emotional footage. For example, her one young daughter, Dadhun, simply expressing what she would like to say to her daddy. Her message for him was that she hopes he gets better and that she is doing well in school, as he always wanted. Why is this poor child being deprived of a father? If he is not released soon and given medical care, she might be permanently deprived. Their children will continue to grow up fatherless. Lhamo Tso says they cry on a daily basis for hours. Why should they have to go through this? Just because he tried to give the Tibetan people a voice? Why is it a criminal act to make a documentary?

Lhamo Tso made it quite clear throughout the talk, with a very passionate and strong voice, that she does not believe it was a criminal act and that her husband should be returned to her side. That powerful voice was a reflection on her obviously strong character. She would need such a character to have survived what she has been through. Her mother died when she was merely 1 year old. Her father died when she was 18. She was left with no family. Then Dhondup came along. She got sick and he was by her side every step of the way in the hospital. This was the start of their love that has lasted 18 years. All she wants now is to be by her husbands side, nursing him to health, like he did for her, but she hasn't even been able to have one scrap of contact with him for over two years. My heart goes out for her, that this will not be the end of their life together.

One of the main things that Lhamo Tso was stressing during the talk was that we, you and I, can help make sure this is not the end for them. I understand that it is hard to be truly touched by a story that you’re hearing as secondary information, rather than being here, sat in front of her, listening to her words, hearing the passion in her voice. Seeing her on a daily basis sat alone by the bus stand selling her bead trying to make ends meet and feed 8 mouths, but I as well as Lhamo Tso would appreciate more than you can know, if you could just take 1 minute and sign the online petition to help get Dhondup released and reunited with his family. As I said in my last blog, petitioning does work! Another Tibetan woman was imprisoned for protesting and when foreigners and Tibetans alike continued to petition, eventually she was released early and flown straight to the U.S to begin her new life. We can help give the same future to Dhondup! Also, if you have REALLY been touched by this story, then you could even write a letter or email to your local MP, or some other government official, asking them to get more involved with the issue in Tibet and to bring it up in parliament… or any other way you can think of to give the Tibetan cause more publicity again! It seems to have been forgotten about, but we really need to give it a voice again, as the oppression in Tibet is only getting worse, not better, despite the message China is giving to the world.

As you can tell, I'm getting more and more emotionally involved with this cause, devoting a lot of my time to teaching Tibetans, helping out behind the scenes at LIT on their weekly talks, films, cultural nights, etc, and also now tutoring two students one on one because they're too shy to come to the classes. 2 months is just not going to be long enough.

Here's the link to the documentary about Lhamo Tso -

This is the link to her husbands documentary that he was imprisoned as a result of... if you watch it, you'll see no reason for his imprisonment - http://leavingfearbehind.com/node/17.

Please take just one minute to sign this petition also - http://actionnetwork.org/campaign/dhondupwangchen This really can help!

---

Comments

[James Robertson]

Heart of gold
Jessica! I am so glad that you have found this part of the world that needs you! You have a heart of gold and are an inspiration to everyone!I will post a link on my Facebook to this blog. How long will you stay? I will come and spend time with you if you are staying long term and give you some short term help through out my term at Sadhana! The world needs people like you! Much love and respect James xxx

[Jessica lb]

Dear James
You're just as much of an inspiration to me too! Unfortunately I have to leave at the end of August, so I don't think you'll be here at the same time as me? It's going to break my heart to leave. If I could stay, I really would! I hope to see you before I leave. If not, there's always next year.... x

[Nan]

Jess if the Chinese can deny the slaughter of all those young people in Tianaman sqare which was seen by millions through the media then I think we would not be surprised by any of the atrocities commited by them. We are very fortunate here in the West. I Love you. Keep safe.xxxxxx