Tenzin Nyidon
DHARAMSHALA, March 23: Ven. Zega Gyatso, a Tibetan monk from Tsang Monastery in Ba County, Tsolho (Hainan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture), has reportedly been released after six months of detention by Chinese authorities. However, he continues to suffer from deteriorating health and strict state surveillance, according to a Dharamshala-based Tibetan media outlet, Tibet Times.
The 48-year-old monk, a native of Sog County in Malho (Huangnan), was detained around July 2 last year on allegations of sending money abroad. At the time of his arrest, he had traveled to Xining city to seek treatment for an existing health condition. Sources state that Chinese police apprehended him there and forcibly took him away, after which he was held incommunicado and subjected to extended interrogation for nearly six months before being released on January 2 this year.
According to the report, his health has significantly worsened during his detention. He is reportedly suffering from joint pain, knee problems, and severe deterioration in his eyesight. While he had no prior history of vision issues, it is believed that prolonged exposure to intense electric lighting during detention contributed to the damage to his eyes. Despite his condition, access to detailed medical information remains limited due to ongoing restrictions.
Following his release, authorities have imposed stringent surveillance measures on the monk, closely monitoring his movements and daily activities. Just three days after returning home, he was summoned again to Xining, where he was reportedly compelled to sign a document pledging that he would not engage in any activities deemed contrary to the interests of the Chinese government.
Although Zega Gyatso is said to have returned to his monastery after the Tibetan New Year (Losar), his current condition and circumstances remain unclear. Sources cite the pervasive climate of fear and tight restrictions as major obstacles preventing further information from emerging.
The monk’s family has long been under scrutiny by Chinese authorities. Since the detention of his cousin, Khedrup Gyatso, in 2008, several relatives and associates have been subjected to heightened surveillance, repeated interrogations, and warnings over alleged contact with individuals abroad. They have also faced ongoing harassment, including arbitrary summons to local police stations.
Zega Gyatso, the eldest of six siblings born to his father, Sowang, and mother, Tashi, traveled to India in 2002, where he studied for approximately a year at Sera Monastery before returning to Tibet in 2003. He later continued his education at Ragya Sherig Norling School. Prior to his detention, he served as a Tibetan language teacher at the Tsang Monastery’s Lekshe Ling School, an institution dedicated to the study of the Five Major Sciences.
