Nyima Kelsang, a monk from Nalanda Monastery in Phenpo Lhundrup County, was arrested on 22 February 1995 after he publicly displayed a Tibetan national flag by hiding it on his chest and proceeding towards Lhundrup County. His action drew the attention of Public Security Bureau officials, who detained him at the county detention centre. The following day, fellow monks visited him in detention, after which Chinese authorities intensified their crackdown on the monastery. His arrest became one of the triggering events leading to wider raids, arrests, and the imposition of a “re-education” campaign targeting monks suspected of pro-independence activities.

Nyima Kelsang’s detention reflects the broader pattern of repression against Tibetan monks, where even symbolic expressions of Tibetan identity—such as carrying the national flag—were treated as political crimes, resulting in arrest and detention