Ngawang Palmo, a 22-year-old Tibetan nun from Garu Nunnery near Lhasa, was arrested on 14 June 1993 along with ten other nuns. The group was accused of taking part in a pro-independence demonstration in support of Tibetan independence, although reports indicate that they were detained before the protest could begin.

Following her arrest, Ngawang Palmo was sentenced to three years’ imprisonment. She was reportedly held with other Tibetan nuns who received prison sentences ranging from two to seven years for similar political activities. Her case forms part of the wider detention of Tibetan nuns who were imprisoned for expressing pro-independence views during the early 1990s