Tenzin Jigme was an 11-year-old student from Nanashoe, Lhasa, studying in Class II at Sharchok School. On 24 May 1993, he witnessed and briefly joined a peaceful demonstration in Lhasa, where Tibetans marched carrying Tibetan national flags and calling for freedom. He observed Chinese police using force against demonstrators, including beatings and tear gas, and witnessed numerous Tibetans being arrested.

The following day, 25 May 1993, police identified Tenzin from a photograph and took him into custody. He was detained for several hours, forced to kneel on a concrete floor, interrogated, and beaten. During his detention, he reportedly witnessed hundreds of Tibetan monks and nuns bound with ropes and chains inside the police station. He was released the same day after being warned that he would face life imprisonment if he participated in similar activities again. As one of the youngest Tibetans detained in connection with the May 1993 demonstrations, the experience left a lasting impact on him.