On 16 June 2003, Yeshi Gyatso, a student at Tibet University and a member of the Lhasa City Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), was arrested in Lhasa on charges of alleged “splittist activities.” His detention occurred in the lead-up to the Dalai Lama’s birthday on 6 July, a period during which Chinese authorities imposed strict restrictions on prayer gatherings, incense burning, and other Tibetan cultural and religious observances.

Yeshi Gyatso was believed to be held at the Lhasa City Public Security Bureau Detention Centre. He reportedly faced the possibility of a lengthy prison sentence in connection with activities linked to expressions of Tibetan national identity.