Ms. Ngawang Sangdrol, a former Tibetan political prisoner had a hard time concluding the tale of tortures she suffered in the hands of Chinese police in Chinese prisons in Tibet for 11 years in only a couple of hours at the Tibet House, New York on September 27, 2003. The audience could barely hold back their tears as Ms. Ngawang Sangrol shared her painful experience of being imprisoned for eleven long years.
The talk on her experience in the Drapchi prison and her life in general was jointly organized by Tibetan Youth Congress of New York and New Jersey (TYC NY & NJ), Students for Free Tibet (SFT), Tibetan Women’s Association of New York and New Jersey (TWA) and Tibetan Community of New York & New Jersey. For the benefit of our American friends, Sonam Topgyal, joint secretary of TYCNY&NJ, interpreted her talk in English.
Ms. Ngawang Sangdrol said, “I thank everyone involved for helping in releasing the political prisoners but, at the same time I would like to request the organizations to take care of them after their release”. She added, “ It is impossible for the released prisoners to get jobs besides being constantly followed by Chinese officials. Any Tibetan business owners giving jobs to the released political prisoners are questioned and face negative consequences. They are discouraged in giving jobs by accusing the political prisoners as being separatists. This makes their lives miserable and for that they need to be taken care of even after their release.”
Ms. Ngawang Sangdrol urged the Tibetans to follow His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s “middle path” because of dire situation in Tibet. She believes that His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s effort is in for the best interest of Tibet and Tibetans. She concluded the talk by thanking SFT, TCNYNJ, TWA and TYC of NY&NJ for hosting the event in commemoration of the 16th anniversary of September 27th 1987 uprising.
Following the talk all, attendees led by Ms. Ngawang Sangdrol marched to the Union Square for a Candle Light Vigil. With the candles in hands, Tseme Yonden was recited followed by the singing of Tibetan National Anthem. SFT volunteers distributed flyers to the pedestrians and other public in the park. Union Square was chosen as the location for the candlelight vigil due to its proximity to the New York University and the traffic of people that gather and move around there as opposed to the U.N. or the Chinese mission. Ms. Ngawang Sangdrol’s frail health was also something organizers had to keep in consideration.
Ms. Ngawang Sangdrol has kindly accepted Tibetan Youth Congress’ invitation to be the distinguished guest at the Youth Day celebration on October 4, 2003 at 630 2nd Avenue in New York City. Youth day is celebrated to commemorate the 34th Anniversary of the founding of Tibetan Youth Congress. She will, once again, share her experiences and brutalities she suffered in the prison with all on that day. We urge you all to attend it and learn how our people are suffering in our own country of Tibet under the brutal regime of the Communist China.
Following is an excerpt from Tibet Information Network News of October 17, 2002, the day Ms. Ngawang Sangdrol was released.
Ngawang Sangdrol Released
Ngawang Sangdrol was released today from Drapchi Prison in Lhasa (Tibet Autonomous Region Prison Number One) nine years before the completion of her sentence. The young nun was serving the longest sentence of any female political prisoner in Tibet before being released on good behaviour parole. Ngawang Sangdrol, who was detained at the age of 13 and then again at the age of 15, has now been reunited with her family. She is one of the Tibetan political prisoners whose release has most frequently been requested by Western governments and human rights organizations. Since the beginning of this year, China has released seven prominent Tibetan political prisoners before the end of their sentences.
Ngawang Sangdrol (lay name: Rigchog), born in Lhasa in 1977 and a nun of Garu nunnery, first became involved in political activities when she was only 11 years old, participating in pro-independence demonstrations in Lhasa in 1987-88. When she was 13 years old, Ngawang Sangdrol again took part in political protests with other nuns and was detained in Gutsa detention centre. During this time she was reportedly beaten so badly that she sustained permanent damage to both hands. She was released after nine months, by which time her mother had died, her father, Namgyal Tashi, and her brother Tenzin Sherab, had been arrested for political activities, and several members of her family had escaped into exile. As a former political prisoner, she was not allowed to rejoin her nunnery.
Following her arrest in June 1992 at age 15, for attempting to demonstrate, Ngawang Sangdrol was sentenced to three years imprisonment in the autumn of the same year. In 1993, she and 13 other nuns tape-recorded songs about their love for their families and for their homeland and the cassette was smuggled out of Drapchi prison. As a result, Ngawang Sangdrol had her sentence extended by six years and together with the other nuns she was severely beaten.
Ngawang Sangdrol received a second sentence extension in 1996 following her participation in several incidents at Drapchi. She was reportedly among a number of female political prisoners who protested about the official Panchen Lama candidate during meetings initiated by the Drapchi authorities in spring 1996. Ngawang Sangdrol also refused to stand up when a prison officer entered her cell, and shouted “Free Tibet” when she and other women were made to stand in the rain as a punishment for refusing to keep their cells clean.
Ngawang Sangdrol’s third sentence extension was handed down by the Lhasa Municipal Intermediate People’s Court in October 1998. Her new release date was said to be 2013 (her total sentence then being 21 years). This extension appeared to be a result of her involvement in protests at Drapchi prison in May 1998 linked to the visit of a European Union ambassadorial delegation and individual protests later in the same year. In September 2001 her father, Namgyal Tashi, died at his home in Lhasa.
In October 2001 Ngawang Sangdrol’s sentence was reduced by 18 months, according to the Chinese authorities, for “showing genuine repentance and willingness to reform”. It was also reported that she had been exempted from hard labor, and was given “light work suitable for female inmates, e.g. knitting and weaving.”
Ngawang Sangdrol’s health has reportedly been poor in recent years. However, according to John Kamm, director of the Dui Hua Foundation, who played an important part in bringing about Ngawang Sangdrol’s release, she was not released on medical parole but due to a regulation that makes prisoners who enter prison as juveniles eligible for early release. The same statement by the Dui Hua Foundation specifies that the parole decision could therefore not be made by the Lhasa Intermediate People’s Court alone but had to be ratified by the Tibet Autonomous Region Higher People’s Court as well as the Supreme People’s Court of the People’s Republic of China.
It is conspicuous that the timing of Ngawang Sangdrol’s release coincides with President Jiang Zemin’s pending visit to the US. Nonetheless, this release is the seventh this year of a prominent Tibetan political prisoner. This emerging pattern may indicate that the Chinese authorities are developing a new approach towards political imprisonment in Tibet. According to TIN’s research the number of political prisoners in Tibet has been in sustained decline in recent years. However, as of February 2002 the number of current political prisoners known to TIN remained at 188, 100 of them being believed to be at Drapchi prison.
Ngawang Palden,
General Secretary, Tibetan Youth Congress of NY & NJ.
