Authorities notified Ngawang Sangdrol of departure for U.S. at last minute
WASHINGTON, March 31, 2003--Ngawang Sangdrol, the Tibetan political prisonerwho obtained a Chinese exit visa last week to seek medical treament abroad,told Radio Free Asia (RFA) that Chinese authorities didn't officially informher that she was to leave for the United States until just before sheboarded a Chicago-bound airliner.
In an hour-long interview with RFA's Tibetan service, she also describedharrowing physical abuse by guards at Lhasa's notorious Drapchi Prison. Inone instance, she said, prison guards fired on prisoners who shouted slogansin favor of Tibetan independence during a flag-raising ceremony. "I don'tknow if anyone was killed or injured, but I could clearly hear prisonersshouting, 'They are killing us!'" she said.
Ngawang Sangdrol was initially reported to be the longest-serving femalepolitical prisoner in Tibet, but Phuntsog Nyidrol--detained continuallysince October 1989--has spent more time in Chinese jails for peacefullyprotesting Chinese rule in Tibet. Chinese officials say she is currentlyscheduled for release in March 2005.
Ngawang Sangdrol also described intense official surveillance following herearly release from prison in 2002--nine years before her sentence wasscheduled to end. "After I was given medical parole from prison, there werestill guards watching me all the time, even at home." She said guards beather on many occasions, once smashing mugs and plumbing pipes on her headuntil it bled heavily. She also said she had agreed not to engage in"anti-Chinese" activities overseas.
"The authorities never officially told me I was leaving for America, notuntil the last minute before I boarded the airplane," she said. "Beforeleaving, I was told to sign a statement saying that I wouldn't say or doanything anti-China. I signed the statement. I don't consider what I amtelling you today to be anti-China."
Ngawang Sangdrol arrived in Chicago late Friday after securing a visapermitting her to seek medical treatment in the United States. The final details of her departure from China were reportedly arranged during talks in December between U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor Lorne Craner and his Chinese counterparts.In the past,China has released or exiled prominent dissidents ahead of high-levelmeetings with U.S. officials, and U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney isexpected to visit China in April.
Several Western governments are known tohave raised her case with the Chinese authorities.
A Buddhist nun who is now in her mid- 20s, Ngawang Sangdrol was firstdetained at age 13. She was paroled from Drapchi Prison on Oct. 18, 2002,nine years before completing her sentence. A nun at the Garu nunnery, shetook part in pro-independence protests in Lhasa in 1987-88.
Ngawang Sangdrol�s sentence was extended three times to a total of 21 years after she and other nuns engaged in prison protests. At one point during her detention, Ngawang Sangdrol and 13 other jailed nuns secretly tape-recorded songs touching on their love for Tibet and for theirfamilies. They smuggled out a cassette tape, and Ngawang Sangdrol's sentencewas extended by six years.
RFA broadcasts news and information to Asian listeners who lack regularaccess to full and balanced reporting in their domestic media. Through itsbroadcasts and call-in programs, RFA aims to fill a critical gap in thelives of people across Asia. Created by Congress in 1994 and incorporated in1996, RFA currently broadcasts in Burmese, Cantonese, Khmer, Korean, Lao,Mandarin, the Wu dialect, Vietnamese, Tibetan (Uke, Amdo, and Kham), andUyghur. It adheres to the highest standards of journalism and aims toexemplify accuracy, balance, and fairness in its editorial content.#####