On 16 June 2003, Buchung, a third-year student at Tibet University, was arrested in Lhasa along with Yeshi Gyatso and Dawa Tashi. The three students were accused of “splittist activities” during a period of heightened restrictions designed to prevent celebrations of the Dalai Lama’s birthday. Buchung’s detention reflected the broader campaign by Chinese authorities to suppress Tibetan religious and cultural expression. He was believed to be held at the Lhasa City Public Security Bureau Detention Centre, facing the possibility of a lengthy prison sentence.