Supporting Victims of Torture

By Lucy Chapman / June 29, 2015;

A crowd of around one hundred people gathered to watch the debut of a documentary film Through Flesh and Bones, screened on June 26, the United Nations International Day in Support of Victims of Torture 2015.

The screening was set up by the Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy (TCHRD) in conjunction with Students for a Free Tibet-India (SFT). The film, which follows the story of four Tibetan detainees, was produced by local journalist Abhishek Madhukarwho said he was inspired by speaking to Tibetan victims of torture “face to face”, adding “I want to be the voice of the voiceless”.

Photo: Aninews.in

In the film, Palden Choeden, a Tibetan nun detained at a peaceful protest in the late 1990s said,”If I tell you about how I was beaten up, I think people would not believe it really. Who would believe someone would beat a human being like that? If I had not seen it, even I would not believe it.” All four detainees spoke of the physical and emotional pain they went through in prison, including being beaten with sticks, being shocked by electric batons and being forced to denounce His Holiness the Dalai Lama. They also spoke of the nightmares they endured after getting out of prison.

The documentary stressed the need for victims to get together and talk about their experiences as too many are “carrying around the weight of the past.”

One Tibetan audience member, TselhoGyal said, “It’s important to me to keep both eyes on the Government and watch lots of things like this documentary.”

TCHRD and SFT-India aim to put pressure on China to follow the recommendations of the UN Special Rapporteur on torture and end the torture of Tibetan people.

The International Day in Support of Victims of Tortureis an initiative by the UN which aims to highlight practices of torture in the world. It is an opportunity for people to gather and show discontent with such practices. This year, the “Right to Rehabilitation” is at the centre of the campaign, stressing physical and psychological elements in the aftermath of recovery from torture.