Gonpo was an 18-year-old former monk from Tawu Monastery in Karze, Sichuan Province, whose case highlights the severe punishment imposed on Tibetan youth for peaceful political expression. In 1994, while still a teenager, he pasted pro-independence posters on Chinese police stations, banks, and electric poles—acts that were nonviolent but highly sensitive to the authorities.

Five years later, in 1999, Gonpo was arrested by four police officers at Tawu Market. He was held in detention for ten months before being formally sentenced to 12 years’ imprisonment. Despite his young age at the time of the original protest, no leniency was shown during sentencing.

Gonpo is currently imprisoned at Sheduk Kyang, a remote facility located a full day’s drive from his hometown, making family visits extremely difficult. Reports indicate that he is held in isolation and subjected to “reform through labour,” conditions that are known to involve physical hardship, psychological pressure, and political indoctrination. His case underscores the long reach of state repression and the harsh treatment faced by young Tibetan prisoners of conscience.