Richen Samdup was arrested at his home in Minyak Rangakha in October 1959 and detained at Ngachen Monastery, which had been converted into a prison in Dhartsedo. After one year, he was transferred to Shing Du Dhu Prison in 1961 and, in 1962, to the Ghatak agricultural labour camp, where he remained imprisoned for 13 years. During his detention, he was subjected to forced labour, including farming, cattle herding, logging, carpentry, blacksmithing, and political "re-education" sessions. His testimony describes the widespread use of Tibetan political prisoners in hard labour camps under the policy of "reform through labour" following the Chinese occupation of Tibet.