On the 25th day of the tenth month of the Tibetan calendar in 1995, following the appointment of the Panchen Lama by the Chinese authorities, a large religious gathering was discovered, resulting in the arrest of numerous monks. Lobsang Shakya, a monk of Tashilhunpo Monastery, was arrested on 16 May 1995 (Tibetan calendar) near a mountain in Shigatse, during which his head was covered with a cloth.

He was initially taken to Ngari Prison, where he was detained for approximately one and a half months before being released. He was later transferred to a building on the outskirts of Shigatse under the pretext that he was being taken to a hospital. He believes the facility had previously functioned as a military camp, as the structure had a tin roof. From this location, he managed to escape to an area outside Shigatse.