Press Release 25 June 2003

26 year old Tibetan nun Ngawang Sangdrol said today that she hoped British Prime Minister Tony Blair would support the non-violent freedom struggle of the Tibetan people when he visits China next month. She expressed her gratitude for the support she received which helped to secure her release from prison after serving 11 years of a 21 year prison sentence for peaceful protests, and said that the very fact that she was free to visit the UK demonstrated the effectiveness of international action for human rights.

"On the eve of United Nations day for victims of Torture, it is right to remember the political prisoners I have left behind in Tibet in terrible conditions, and I appeal to the British Government and British people to help secure their release as they helped me," said Ms Sangdrol. "Even Tibetans who are not in prison have limited freedom. The Tibetan people's hopes lie with the Dalai Lama's efforts to pursue a non-violent resolution to the Chinese occupation and I hope that Tony Blair will give us his support."

Alison Reynolds, Director of Free Tibet Campaign added, "Tony Blair must go to China with a firm agenda; to secure China's agreement to negotiate with the Tibetan Government in exile, with no preconditions. Mr Blair was accused during his last visit of soft-soaping on human rights, and we call on him to demonstrate that his commitment to defending innocent people from oppressive regimes extends beyond clear cases of British self-interest. We sincerely hope that the Foreign Secretary Jack Straw will be giving a strong message, concerning the rights of the Tibetan people, to Chinese Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing later this morning."

Li Zhaoxing will have talks with Jack Straw today as part of his two day visit to London and will face protests from Tibetans and Tibet supporters. Tony Blair is expected to visit China in late July, following the postponement of a visit planned for April. Free Tibet Campaign has appealed to the Prime Minister to pro-actively engage in efforts to secure unconditional negotiations between the Chinese Government and the Tibetan Government in exile, to peacefully resolve the 53-year occupation of Tibet.

Ngawang Sangdrol was only 13 years old when she was first imprisoned in Tibet for non-violent protests in support of Tibetan independence. She was subjected to torture and ill-treatment throughout her detention in Gutsa Detention Centre and Drapchi Prison, Lhasa. She was released in October 2002 following a long-standing international campaign by groups such as Free Tibet Campaign and permitted to leave Tibet in March 2003. Ngawang Sangdrol hopes to meet a representative of the British Government during her visit. She will meet Parliamentarians and address a China discussion group meeting at Chatham House.

Contact: Alison Reynolds on 07711 843 884 or Anne Callaghan on 07905 922 701

Background information on Ngawang Sangdrol

Ngawang Sangdrol, a nun at the Garu Nunnery north of Lhasa in Tibet, was first arrested in 1990 at the age of only 13 for protesting with 12 other nuns at the Norbulingka (or Summer Palace) in Lhasa. She was considered too young to be prosecuted but was nevertheless held for nine months in the Gutsa detention centre where she was interrogated, beaten severely with iron water pipes and tortured with electric cattle prods. She was arrested again in 1992 after protesting in the Barkhor area of Lhasa, and sentenced in November to three years in Drapchi Prison, for "counter-revolutionary propaganda and incitement".

On 22 September 1993, her sentence was extended by six years for singing Tibetan nationalist songs in prison with a group of other nuns. On 21 June 1996, it was extended for a further eight years for protesting during a 'Patriotic Re-education' programme in the prison. Ngawang had refused to stand up when an official entered the room, refused to tidy her bedding and shouted "Free Tibet!" during her punishment of standing outside.

In May 1998 Ngawang Sangdrol's sentence was extended once more, for a further six years, in the aftermath of uprisings in the prison. The protests had been started by criminal prisoners, but the political prisoners and the nuns had joined in the chanting of freedom slogans from their cell window. Ngawang was beaten severely and kept in solitary confinement. Ex-prisoner Norzin Wangmo described what happened, "Ani [Nun] Sangdrol was in the worst condition. It was like she was dead, she had lost consciousness. They didn't have any proof against Ani la, they beat her out of grudge. We thought she was dead... We had to wait a long time for her to stand up. When she did she was bleeding heavily, blood was streaming from her like water. There were three or four wounds on her head. She walked with a limp. They had trampled upon her body. There were so many people beating her that we couldn't see her when she had fallen down. She wasn't even able to lift up her head afterwards." (source: Tibet Information Network)

At the last extension, the Lhasa Intermediate People's Court set a release date of May 3, 2013 but this was later changed to November 3, 2011 on account of her "showing genuine repentance and willingness to reform." In October 2002 the Lhasa Intermediate People's Court decided, in accordance with the principle of light or reduced sentences for individuals who enter prison as juveniles, to approve Ngawang Sangdrol's immediate release from prison on parole.

Torture remains prevalent in Tibetan prisons, and political prisoners are particularly at risk. Free Tibet Campaign has recently launched a campaign to close 'Rukhag 3', a unit of Drapchi Prison that houses female political prisoners. Through the efforts of Free Tibet Campaign and many Tibet campaigners and human rights organisations around the world there have been a number of early releases from Rukhag 3 . Attention is now focused on the women who remain in Rukhag 3, including 34 year old Phuntsog Nyidrol who is serving a 16 year sentence, also for peaceful protest.

Other Tibetans are still suffering from torture and are victims of China's failure to respect the right to freedom of expression and its unfair legal system. In January 2003 China executed Tibetan independence activist Lobsang Dhondup and religious leader Tenzin Deleg Rinpoche remains under sentence of death.