Palden Gyatso, born in 1931 in Panam, Gyantse, was a monk who became actively involved in the 1959 Tibetan uprising. He was first arrested that year and subsequently endured multiple terms of imprisonment, including a 15-year sentence for attempting to escape.

Throughout his detention, Palden Gyatso suffered long periods of “administrative detention” without trial, endured torture, and faced extremely harsh prison conditions. Over the course of his life, he spent a total of 33 years in various prisons. He was finally released on 25 August 1992, after completing his sentence.