Migmar Tsering was first detained in 1988 for sheltering a demonstrator in his home during a protest. He was held for a total of eleven months in Gutsa Prison. For the initial six months, he was kept in isolation, completely separated from other detainees, and subjected to repeated beatings and torture.

This was followed by three months of intense and harsh interrogations. He was then placed in strict solitary confinement for a further two months, during which he was kept entirely alone. As a result of these prolonged and severe conditions, Migmar Tsering was left both physically weakened and mentally exhausted by the time of his release.