I am 29 year old and come from Nyen village in Seshen township in Toeling Dechen Dzong under Lhasa City. I come from a very small nunnery of just 15 minutes of which five are still languishing in Drapchi prison for participating in a demonstration in 1949 in front of the Tsuklakhang (Lhasa’s main temple).
In 1995, the most senior nun and the head of the village sought permission for the expansion of the nunnery so as to accommodate more nuns. The whole of the village contributed to the construction preparations. We were even able to find a sponsor for the project from Lhasa on the condition that all labours be carried out by the village people. This was agreed upon with no hesitation. Finally, when everything was ready, the Chinese “Strike Hard” campaign was launched. The authorities informed us that for at least five years there would be no renovation or expansion of nunneries or monasteries.
All work and no pay:
There were seven members of my family-my parents, elder sister, her husband and their two children. My brother-in-law works as a labourer in our small town. His salary is supposed to be 1000 Yuan per year but he has never received his salary on time. This delay creates so much distress within the family but there is nothing that we can possibly do.
When some of the other people facing the same crisis approached their foreman, they were told that the factory had not released the budget for salaries. Yet when the factory is approached, another story is given.
We suspect that the foremen are taking some profit before the salaries are distributed. It takes a minimum of one year before the next pay is received, yet even then, only the half sum is given. My brother cannot however afford to leave the factory as the money is much needed at the farm.
On Education:
We have a Mangstug (village level primary schools which receive no financial support from the Chinese government) in our village called “Nyen School.” The majority of the teachers are Tibetans but the Chinese language teacher is constantly changing.
The most recent addition to the teachers’ department is a student who just graduated from a Zhungtsug school (a Chinese government –established primary school). He is not even included in the school staff list. There was a protest from the people as a response to this recruitment because every day each student must pay one yuan for this teacher who cannot even teach properly. The people’s plea was ignored and this young student-teacher is still teaching in the school.
Expulsion:
The source also reported the expulsion of more than 100 nuns from the nunnery called Drigung Tertum in Meldro County under Lhasa City at the end of November 1996. Before the expulsions the nunnery had about 220. The reason provided for the expulsions was that the number was exceeding the limit.
