Lhagyari Namgyal Dolkar, President of the Movement
The Gu Chu Sum (Nine Ten Three) Movement takes its name from three months in 1987 and 1988 during which a series of peaceful demonstrations by Tibetans in Lhasa were violently supressed by the Chinese regime. Many of those who took part were imprisoned, savagely beaten and inhumanly tortured and sentenced to reform through labour camps. The organisation was set up in 1991 and its membership includes Tibetans who are former political prisoners and political activists as well as families of political prisoners.
Lhagyari Namgyal Dolkar, President of the Movement, is the daughter of a former political prisoner. She passionately talks about the resilience of the people of Tibet and believes in the importance of supporting those engaged in the struggle to free Tibet. Gu Chu Sum is her chosen avenue for doing her duty. “Here human rights abuse victims become human rights advocates,” she enthuses.
One of the Movement’s aims is to rehabilitate former political prisoners to be self-reliant by training them in vocational skills. The chief method for doing this is the tailoring shop and their products are available at their shop in McLeod Ganj or from their web site. Stipends are available for members in need and the organisation provides comprehensive medical assistance to those who are sick.
Photo: Gu Chu sum 2018
Gu Chu Sum is very active in promoting awareness of the situation in Tibet. The Human Rights Desk is a well known resource for information about the human rights situation in Tibet; it disseminates information as well as providing analysis to interested stakeholders, while awareness campaigns for the public graphically show the history of human rights abuses in Tibet. A travelling exhibition is currently in preparation and is due to be presented at schools and universities throughout India from the end of August this year. Interested organisations can contact Gu Chu Sum directly to invite them to exhibit at their premises.
The organisation lobbies representatives of governments about the situation in Tibet, often working hand in hand with partners such as Free Tibet and Tibet Watch. Under Lhagyari Namgyal Dolkar’s leadership the United Nations has been targeted as a forum for awareness.
A key audience for the Movement is the youth of Tibet. This year the International Day in Support of Victims of Torture was marked by a visit to students at the Upper Tibetan Children’s Village school in Dharamshala. The children were given strips of material and requested to draw their vision of Tibet. These were all collected and stitched together into the “Quilt of Dreams.” A look at the quilt gives a fascinating glance into the current mindset of Tibetan Youth in exile.
Photo: Gu Chu Sum 2017
Lhagyari Namgyal Dolkar explains that the organisation’s rules specify that no member can be on the executive for more than two three-year terms. She is due to vacate her seat in September 2019. She is very aware of the fact that she is both the first woman and the first family member to be elected as President of the Movement. She says that the organisation meant much to her late father and she believes that she is making him proud. She does her best to vindicate those who voted her into the position. She encourages everyone to become more self-aware by personally checking out the internet in terms of the current human rights situation in Tibet.
People who are touched by the need can help Gu Chu Sum Movement in various ways. The most obvious way is by means of a financial contribution and volunteers are always welcome, even those with lower qualifications have made excellent contributions to research. Possibilities exist for interns.
Each person can play a role in the Tibetan cause. What is yours?
Print
Email
