Ngawang Kyizom
POLITICAL PRISONER- Does it have an image?
- No
- Gender
- Female
- Age at Detention
- 22
- Origin County Level
- Origin Province
- Tibet Autonomous Region
- Origin Prefecture
- Lhasa
- Occupation at Detention
- Religious
- Vulnerable Group at Detention
- Religious
- Date of arrest
- 14/09/1990
- Detention Centre/Prison
- Gutsa Prison
- Description of event
On 14 September 1990, at around 10:00 a.m., Ngawang Kyizom joined nine nuns, including herself, and two monks in a demonstration in the Barkor area of Lhasa. They called for Tibetan freedom and the withdrawal of Chinese forces from Tibet. During the protest, Chinese police and other security personnel arrested Ngawang Kyizom, along with three nuns from Shungseb Nunnery—Dawa (aged 23), Chime Youdon (aged 16), and Dawa Yangzom (aged 22)—as well as three monks from Tshomonling Monastery.
Ngawang Kyizom was released on 13 March 1993 and returned to her home village of Maldo Gorkar. After her release, she lived under strict surveillance and constant monitoring, which made her feel unsafe. She also faced serious difficulties in gaining admission to any nunnery, preventing her from continuing her religious studies and monastic life.
- Violations Faced in Detention
- Cruel, Inhuman and Degrading Treatment: Forced Labor
- Cruel, Inhuman and Degrading Treatment: Use of Tiger Chairs
- Details of Violations Faced in Detention
Following their arrest, they were taken to Gutsa Prison, where they were severely beaten with sticks, kicked, and subjected to electric shocks during interrogations. Ngawang Kyizom reported that her hands were tied behind her back and that she was hung from a tree for approximately one hour. She was detained in Gutsa Prison for one year and seven months, after which she was transferred to Trisam Prison, where she was held for a further eleven months. While in prison, she was forced to work in the vegetable garden and to carry out degrading tasks such as cleaning sewage tanks.
- Types of Human Rights Violations
- Civil and Political Rights Violations: Right to Freedom of Expression and Opinion
- Civil and Political Rights Violations: Right to Liberty and security of person
- Length of Sentence
- 3 years
- Prison Location
- Date of release
- 13/03/1993
- Type of Sources
- Primary: TCHRD field sources
- Torture
- Torture
- Published
- Published