Ngawang Trirel, President:

Ngawang Trirel was born to a nomadic family on 15th December 1968 at Gyama in Medrolgungkar district about 60 miles east of Lhasa, the Tibetan capital. He completed his school education from different schools in the area and later, in 1986, joined the prestigious Drepung Monastery and was ordained as a monk.

In September 1990 he joined the High-level Tibetan Buddhism College of China (HTBCC) and studied different forms of Tibetan studies including Tibetan astrology. Following his graduation from college, Ngawang went back to serve monks at the Gaden Monastery as a teacher for years.

During his time at Gaden Monastery, Ngawang took part in and supported many political protests and activities. He served for four months as an attendee when his relative and former political prisoner Ganden Tashi was hospitalized from the dreaded Drapchi prison after he was subjected to torture at the hands of Chinese police. During this time, he was also able to serve notable Sonam Wangdue following his admission in the same hospital after suffering serious injuries during torture in Drapchi prison. He has assisted many former political prisoners during the time as well.

After coming to India in exile, Ngawang Trirel worked as a teacher at Lotsawa Rinchen Zangpo for two years. In 2014, he was elected as a board member of the organization after an emergency general body meeting. Ngawang also served at the Tibetan Institute of Performance Art (TIPA) as a teacher, researcher, and composer of lyrics from 2016. During his tenure as a teacher at TIPA, he was elected the president of the organization’s 8th executive board member of the organization during the 8th general body meeting held in December 2019. Ngawang Trirel is currently serving the organization in the same capacity.

DAWA TASHI Vice-President

Dawa Tashi was born on 5^th may, 1980 in Na –Kartse District in Tibet Autonomous Region. He went to school and university in Tibet, beginning in 1988. From September 1997 to July 2000, he attended Lhasa University and from September 2000 to July 2003, studied at Tibet University. He was imprisoned for a period of two months in 2003 for his involvement in political activities and in March 2004 escaped to India. During the 4^th, 5^th and 6^th sessions of the general body meetings of Guchusum movement of Tibet, he was selected as a member of the executive body of the organisation and since October 2014, has served as the general secretary and researcher in Chinese for the organisation. During the 7^th general body meet, he was re-elected and has been serving the orgainsaiton in the capacity of vice president since 2016

GYALTHANG TULKU KUNKHEN JAMCHEN CHOEJE General Secretary

 Gyalthang Tulku Kunkhen Jamchen Choeje was born in Gyalthang, Eastern Tibet. He was recognized as the Gyalthang Tulku by His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Yongzin Trijang Rinpoche. He went to a Chinese school from the age of five to fourteen and around the time he turned fifteen, returned to Gyalthang. He fled to India when he was sixteen and enrolled in Sera Monastery in south India after being ordained by His Holiness the Dalai Lama that year. He went back to his hometown in Tibet at the age of 23 and enrolled at the local monastery and spent a lot of time doing social work. The Chinese state government recognized him as a Tulku in 2000. He graduated from the Buddhist studies college established by the 10^th Panchen Lama in 2005.

In November and December, 2007 fresh restrictions were imposed upon Tibetans regarding freedom of religion and worship, from the prosecution of anyone in possession of photographs of the Dalai Lama and official directives issued against worshipping him. It was during that program. In the letter, written in Chinese and addressed to Tibetans, Gyalthang Tulku wrote, “Tibet has historically been an independent country and Tibetans, from laypeople to the Tulkus in the monasteries, need to do foremost is to challenge the Chinese communist party and Hu Jintao. Every Tibetan should support His Holiness the Dalai Lama and I ask everyone to pray that Tibet becomes once again an independent, free country in the future.”

Due to this letter, Gyalthang Tulku was imprisoned for a year and a half. After his release, he fled to India again in 2009 after his release and, with the help of the Dalai Lama, was able to complete his education in Buddhist studies at the Thoesam Norling monastery at Sera in south India.

He was selected into an executive body of the Guchusum Movement of Tibet during the emergency meeting in 2014. Gyalthang Tulku was re-elected to the executive board member in 2016 during the 7^th general body meet to the post of General Secretary in 2016 and has been re-elected to the same post during the general body meeting held in December 2019 as well. He is currently serving the organization as the incumbent general secretary of the organization.

Yeshi Togden Executive board member

Yashi Togden was born in 1964 at Meldro Gyama Trikhang and attended local primary school until he was 14 years of age to later stay home and help his family with farming and tending to their animals. From 1984-86 he took charge of the reconstruction of Gyama Trikhang Temple, the birthplace of King Songtsen Gampo, and later joined Gaden Monastery at the end of 1986 to study religious texts and work for the renovations in the monastery.

On 5^th March 1988, during the Monlam Chenmo prayer festival, Yeshi took part in a peaceful protest in headed by monks from Gaden Monastery. Escaping shots fired by the police and tear gases, protesters were able to go around the Bharkor area three times shouting slogans of ‘Tibetans for Tibet,’ ‘Chinese quit Tibet’ and ‘Long Live his holiness the Dalai Lama.’ At the time a large number of Chinese military personnel brutally suppressed the peaceful protestors; Yeshi was arrested near Tsuklakhang Temple and was severely beaten, resulting in severe injuries to his leg and ears. He was dragged to the military truck and later taken to the Gutsa detention center.

At Gutsa Prison, where prisoners are fed a meager meal for survival, he was detained for one and half months and underwent harsh torture and inhuman treatment during his interrogation that lasted about thirteen days. He was later transferred to Utratoe Prison where the condition was far worse than Gutsa prisoner. Hunger was extreme, inhuman treatment and torture were a routine; such was the condition that hardcore criminals pitied the political prisoner and tried to help with whatever they had. Yeshi suffered physical damages while in prison and he was later released after 5 months.

Following his release, Yeshi Togden went back to his monastery and his monastic life, engaging in Buddhist practices while also remaining politically active with friends on different occasions. not long after his release from prison, Yeshi once again joined a peaceful protest on 5 March 1989 that saw a large number of Tibetans take part in and continued the protest for three days until 7^th March. Yeshi was arrested the night of 7^th March when the city was put under lockdown and martial law was declared.

After his arrest, he was shifted to Utratue prison the following day and detained there for 15 days undergoing interrogation and brutal treatment. He was later sentenced to five months and imprisoned at Sangyip prison. Following his release, Yeshi Togden went back to his monastery and continued to live there. However, in March 1990, during a visit by local authorities and armed forces to the monastery, 54 monks were ordered to leave the monastery while 16 among them, including Yeshi, were handed to local authorities at their native place; they were banned to enrol in any other monasteries while extra restriction was imposed on their movement and communication.

On 1^st July 1990, Yeshi along with two of his friends started their escape to India. About four months later, traveling mostly by foot, they reached safety in India in October, evading arrest and surviving hardship. Not long after his escape to India, he was able to get an audience with his Holiness the Dalai Lama. Yeshi joined the Institute of Buddhist Dialects in March 1991 to continue his Buddhist studies.

After discussion among a core group of thirty-three former political prisoners at Kalachakra Puja held at the beginning of the year, the Gu-chu-sum Movement of Tibet was formed on 27th September 1991. Yeshi was one of the leading members of the small group and took part in many activities; he left his education in 1993 to work for the organization and dedicated himself to the service of the organization. The following year, he was elected as the president of the organization and continued to serve the organization in all aspects.

During his tenure as president of the organization, being re-elected three times in a row, Yeshi was able to build a strong foundation for the organization. He was able to tour many countries and speak on the issue of Tibet at various international platforms such as UN Human Rights Commission in April 2004 and take part in many activities around the world.

Yeshi was re-elected for the fourth time in September 2004 during the general body meeting, however, owing to his age and to pave way for new leadership, Yeshi Togden declined the post and agreed to serve as an advisor and accepted the post of executive board member.

Ngawang Woeber Executive board member

Ngawang Woeber was born in Jangkha Township, in Southern Tibet’s Phenpo Lhundup County, Near Lhasa in 1965. He attended school for some years and then worked on the farm until he reached the age of 17. A year later, he joined Drepung Monastery and studied Buddhist philosophy, Tibetan history, and Tibetan grammar.

On September 26, 1987, some monks from Drepung Monastery and Ngawang met and discussed organising a peaceful demonstration in support of His holiness the Dalai Lama’s effort in securing the legitimate rights of the Tibetan people. It was decided that the demonstration will be held the next day.

On September 27, 1987, 21 monks from Drepung Monastery including Ngawang waved the Tibetan national flag and distributed pamphlets stating ‘Tibet is Independent’ and ‘China out of Tibet.’ His participation in the protest led to his arrest and subsequently he was imprisoned in Gutsa Prison for about four months.

During his time at Gutsa prison, Ngawang was interrogated and coerced by the Chinese (by both peaceful and harsh methods) to reveal to them about the leaders of the protest that spearheaded the protest.

After his release from prison, Ngawang returned to his monastery and continued his Buddhist studies and political activism for his country; distributed pamphlets and put up posters about Tibet’s independence, even hoisted a Tibetan national flag.

Chinese committee stationed at the monastery became suspicious of my involvement in political activities. On 20 April 1990 Ngawang was expelled from the monastery and was banned from joining any other monasteries in the future.

Having the freedom of his stay and movement in Tibet curtailed, he thus fled Tibet on April 26, 1991, as he felt there was no point in remaining in his country under such a condition.

After his arrival at Dharamshala, he joined the Teacher’s Training Course offered at the Institute of Buddhist Dialects and after his graduation, he was appointed a Tibetan teacher at Tibetan Children Village (TCV) Patlikuhal near Kullu valley in Himachal Pradesh.

He has previously served as president of the organization from September 2004 and has been re-elected to the board member during the general body meeting held in December 2019.

Jamyang Jinpa Executive board member

Jamyang Jinpa was born in Amdo Labrang, North-Eastern Tibet in 1987 to a nomadic family. Around the age of eight, he went to school in his hometown and later joined Labrang Tashikyil Monastery at the age of 12 years old. Not long after that, he joined Meljung Thoesamling Monastery after passing examinations and studied at the monastery until 2008.

On the 14th and 15th of March, 2008, there were widespread peaceful protests against the Chinese government in which Jamyang Jinpa took part in. Chinese authorities responded by sending in the military to crack down on peaceful protestors. Tear gases were thrown into the crowd and many were injured in the clash. Everyone panicked as the police and military started arresting people but with the help of two Tibetans, Jinpa was able to evade detention. It was during that time that he felt it unbearable to imagine living under such a regime anymore and he made up his mind to protest once again on the 18th. He managed to get a Tibetan national flag and made another banner that carried three slogans:

-The invaders of my country have oppressed our people beyond the point of tolerance.

-Although our bodies have been tortured, our minds are sound and look to the Dalai Lama.

-Tibetans should rise up peacefully for the sake of our religion and the happiness of all beings.

On April 9^th, 2008, he was able to stage a protesting front of a delegation of foreign journalists but was successful in running away with the nomadic area and escape arrest. He spent about a year in hiding and lived in the mountains. In May 2009, he fled to exile and reached India. After two months, he enrolled in Sarah College for Higher Tibetan Studies and graduated in 2013. He was elected to the 6th Executive Body in 2014 and was later re-elected as part of the 7th and 8th Executive Board of the organization.