Panchen Dolma, widely known as “Khampa Ani,” was born in Gonjo, Kham Province, as the only child of the local chieftain, Gonpo Robu. She received a basic education in Tibetan reading and writing until the age of fourteen and later studied religious teachings under Lama Azong Ga of Derge Monastery. From an early age, she was trained both in religious practice and in the use of firearms, reflecting the realities of life in Kham during that period.

After the death of her father, Panchen Dolma inherited his position at the age of twenty-four and assumed leadership of approximately 500 fighters. She took part in the Khampa resistance against Chinese forces, fighting alongside other resistance units and surviving several ambushes. Her activities continued until she was captured during a Chinese military attack at Sherta Lho.

She was arrested in the early 1960s, at around twenty-seven years of age, and subsequently imprisoned for more than twenty years. During this period, she was held in several detention facilities, including Chamdo Monastery Prison, Deyong Prison, Chuto Teng Prison, and Drapchi Prison. Throughout her long imprisonment, she endured severe hardship, including starvation, forced labour, and extremely harsh living conditions. She was finally released in 1981.

In 1988, Panchen Dolma travelled to India to attend the Kalachakra initiation in Varanasi. Since then, she has lived in a nunnery in Dharamsala, where she continues to speak out for Tibetan independence and remains a symbol of the Khampa resistance and the resilience of Tibetan women.