Profiles of Courage: Day 46 – January 24th

Ngawang Lochoe (1974-2001)
Nun and one of the ‘Drapchi 14’; died in prison on February 5, 2001

Tenzin Gyatso [the Dalai Lama], the heart and soul of our country
Is my root lama, the wish-fulfilling jewel
When all Tibetans, in Tibet and in exile, unite
The sun will emerge from behind the clouds.
-Lyrics from a ‘Drapchi 14’ prison song

On May 14, 1992, 19-year-old Ngawang Lochoe and five other nuns from Nyen Nunnery were arrested in Lhasa after peacefully demonstrating for Tibetan freedom. They were charged with "instigating counter-revolutionary activities and propaganda" and suffered brutal interrogations and inhumane treatment at the Gutsa Detention Centre. All 6 nuns were sentenced to five years imprisonment in Lhasa’s notorious Drapchi Prison.

In Drapchi Prison, Ngawang Lochoe and 13 other nuns secretly recorded freedom songs and messages that conveyed hope over despair. The tapes were smuggled out of prison in June 1993, allowing for these powerful songs about resistance and suffering to be heard the world over.

When the authorities discovered the songs, they extended the nuns’ prison sentences. Ngawang Lochoe's incarceration was extended by another five years, bringing her total sentence to 10 years.

On February 5, 2001, just one year before completing the full 10-year prison sentence, Ngawang Lochoe died of acute (necrotizing) pancreatitis, respiratory and heart failure. She had been severely physically debilitated due to her maltreatment over several years, including physical beatings, food deprivation, and the lack of medical attention for prison inmates at Drapchi. She was 28-years-old. Read more about Ngawang Lochoe.

The remaining 13 Drapchi nuns completed their full prison sentence or were released early on medical parole. Seven still live in Tibet, while the rest escaped into exile and now live in India, the U.S.A, Belgium and Switzerland. Read more about the 'Drapchi 14'.

We commemorate the memory of Ngawang Lochoe and commit to doing everything we can to stop the injustices in Tibet and push for the release of other brave Tibetan political prisoners like Ngawang Lochoe.