Ngawang Jampa, born in Lhatse, Palbar Dzong, joined Lhatse Monastery in 1985, where he pursued his religious studies until May 1996. During that month, he was expelled under the Chinese authorities’ “Strike Hard” campaign, which aimed to force monks to conform to state ideology. Of the 75 monks at Lhatse Monastery, 52 were expelled, including Ngawang Jampa, after he refused to place his thumbprint on a document pledging compliance with government policies.

Following his expulsion, Ngawang Jampa later joined Chamdo Monastery. However, in August 1996 the Chinese authorities initiated a “Patriotic Re-education” campaign at Chamdo Monastery as well. A Chinese “work team” of 24 members compelled monks to attend mandatory ideological sessions twice daily, at 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. Out of approximately 1,500 monks, around 500 were expelled, and new regulations were introduced stipulating that monks under the age of 18 would also face expulsion.

Having already been expelled from Lhatse Monastery and now forced out of Chamdo Monastery, Ngawang Jampa was left with no place to continue his monastic life. Facing ongoing persecution and restrictions on religious freedom, he fled Tibet on 30 December 1996 and arrived in Dharamsala, India, where he sought to continue his religious studies in freedom.