Yeshi Ngawang (born 1968), from Chideshol Kyimshe in Gongkar County, was a monk at Sungrabling Monastery. On 10 March 1989, he and five other monks posted notices commemorating the 1959 Tibetan Uprising, calling for Tibetan independence and the return of the Dalai Lama. He was arrested on 20 April 1989 following a police raid and, in August 1989, was sentenced to five years’ imprisonment and three years’ deprivation of political rights. He was later transferred to Drapchi Prison.

In December 1990, after the death in custody of fellow prisoner Lhakpa Tsering, Yeshi Ngawang took part in prison protests. In April 1991, he was beaten and held in solitary confinement for one month for leading another protest. In April 1993, he was caught passing his family a written account of political prisoners and prison conditions. Accused of “leaking state secrets,” he received an additional nine-year sentence, bringing his total term to 14 years. His health reportedly deteriorated severely in prison, and his release was expected in 2003.