Lobsang Choephel, a 39-year-old monk from Lhasa, was a member of a youth organization during the Cultural Revolution. On 27 August 1983, Chinese police suddenly raided his office and conducted a search, during which they found teachings of His Holiness the Dalai Lama and a Tibetan national flag. He was subsequently convicted of “counter-revolutionary” activities and sentenced to imprisonment at Sangyip Prison.