Ngawang Sangdrol is a Buddhist nun who believes that Tibet should be independent from China.
At the age of 10 she was arrested for the first time by Chinese authorities. Her only crime was to participate in a peaceful demonstration for the independence of Tibet from China. When she was 13 she took again part in a peaceful demonstration. She was too young to be brought to trial under Chinese law, nevertheless Chinese authorities held her for 9 months.
In June 1992, at the age of 15, she was once more arrested by Chinese authorities for trying to stage a peaceful demonstration with fellow nuns.
Subsequently she was accused for "subversive and separatist activities" and sentenced to 3 years imprisonment in the notorious Drapchi prison.
Her sentence was extended for another 6 years in October 1993. The reason for this was the fact that she had sung and recorded independence songs in the prison together with 13 other nuns. The tape with those songs was smuggled out of jail and distributed throughout Tibet.
In 1996 Ngawang Sangdrol's sentence was again prolonged for another 8 years as she shouted "free Tibet" while standing in the rain in the prison's yard.
The third extension of Ngawang's sentence was announced in October 1998 when she refused to acknowledge the Panchen Lama, whom the Chinese authorities had chosen (The Panchen Lama is the second most important political and religious dignitary of Tibet. He died in 1998 and ever since there as been a dispute between Chinese authorities and the Dalai Lama about who was the reincarnation of the Panchan Lama). Including this last extension of 4 years her total sentence amounts to 21 years.
Together with other prison inmates in the Drapchi prison Ngawang Sangdrol suffers under inhuman treatment including beating and solitary confinement with reduced food rations. Today she has problems with her kidneys as result of torture. This inhuman treatment of Ngawang Sangdrol and prisoners throughout China is a clear violation of Article 5 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights which prohibits torture at all times and under any circumstance.
"Alas this sad song in my mind I send to those who help prisoners These feelings in this dark season [line indistinct] I'll never forget the horrible tortures. May this present misery in prison Never be inflicted on any sentient being"
TO:
Premier of the People's Republic of China ZHU Rongji Zongli Guowuyuan 9 Xihuangchenggenbeijie Beijingsh1 100032 People's Rebuplic of ChinaBy signing this, we demand that Ngawang Sangdrol is to be released unconditionally and immediately. Furthermore we demand that the Chinese authorities respect Article 5 of the UDHR by treating Ngawang Sangdrol and other prisoners in China with dignity, and by bringing to an end any form of torture and inhuman treatment. We demand the Chinese authorities to disclose all information about the health of prisoners throughout China by allowing an independent organization to inspect prisons in China.
February 2, 2002