Ngawang Sangdrol was a Tibetan Buddhist nun from Garu Nunnery in Lhasa who became one of the youngest and most enduring symbols of nonviolent resistance to Chinese rule in Tibet. She joined her first protest at just ten years old and continued to take part in peaceful demonstrations throughout her teenage years, showing remarkable courage at a very young age.

In 1992, she was sentenced to three years in Drapchi Prison for her activism. Even behind bars, she refused to remain silent. She secretly recorded independence slogans and took part in collective acts of protest, including a major demonstration by prisoners in May 1998. These actions led the authorities to repeatedly extend her sentence, eventually increasing it to a total of 21 years.