In September 1996, one hundred sixty 'work team' officials came to Sera to conduct patriotic 're-education' sessions for two months. The work team ordered all photos of Dalai Lama be removed from the monastery. In order to avoid that from happening, Gyaltsen closed the monastery for three days. However, the work team forced the monastery to reopen. On 27 September 1996, he was arrested while attempting to paste a poster ordering the monastery to close. He was taken to Seitru Detention Centre.