Biography of Marcher: Kalsang Choegyal

Kalsang Choegyal, a 26 year-old monk from Jangtse Monastery, decided to join the March to Tibet “to protect the culture and our people.” Arrested on March 13^th with the first wave of marchers, he felt “sad because we knew we are struggling for our freedom and culture and the police did not realize this. I felt pity for them not knowing what they are doing.”

A tall man, Kalsang spoke quietly about his struggle while getting arrested. “I was confused. I couldn’t shout. I wanted to shout. I wanted to push but I couldn’t. I was scared my friends might show violence. I was afraid I might erupt in anger.” In such an emotionally intense moment, Kalsang displayed his and the march’s commitment to nonviolent resistance.