Pema Phuntsok, a 39-year-old resident of Mongsanga Village in Karze (Kandze) County, was arrested on 31 October 1999 for participating in the mass protests that erupted in Karze on 26 October 1999. He was later sentenced to two and a half years’ imprisonment for his involvement in the demonstration.

The Karze protests were triggered by the arrest of the highly respected Tibetan religious leader Geshe Sonam Phuntsok (also known as Sonam Phuntsok) on 25 October 1999. He was seized at gunpoint during a pre-dawn raid on his retreat at Wakhar Retreat Area by Chinese Public Security Bureau officers. News of his arrest spread rapidly, prompting nearly 3,000 Tibetans to gather peacefully to demand his release. Instead of responding to public appeals, the authorities intensified repression, subjecting detainees to brutal torture in Kandze Detention Centre and later sentencing Geshe Sonam Phuntsok to seven years’ imprisonment in Menyang Prison.

Public resistance continued to grow, and by the following day nearly 10,000 Tibetans assembled outside the court, chanting slogans calling for his release. Security forces responded with tear gas and live ammunition, injuring many demonstrators and arresting nearly 100 people. A strict curfew was imposed across Kandze County from 27 October to 3 November 1999, communications were cut, and widespread house-to-house searches and beatings were carried out.

In the aftermath of the crackdown, at least 16 individuals were identified and documented as political prisoners in connection with the Karze protests. These included monks, nuns, farmers, government employees, village leaders, and ordinary civilians, many of whom received prison sentences ranging from two and a half to seven years in prisons across Sichuan. Pema Phuntsok was among those punished for taking part in what was a largely peaceful, community-wide protest against the arrest and mistreatment of a revered religious figure.