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Rukhag 3: The Nuns of Drapchi Prisonus and who teach us the exercises. If we rebuke officials who talk to us, they immediately come with the wujin. Theyare always on standby.” 115Pema Butri’s accusation that the “old rukhag 3” nuns had been able to muster the energy to shout slogans only because theyhad received so much prison care echoed her denunciation four days earlier in “new rukhag 3”. Previous instances show thatthe phrase is clearly perceived as inflammatory by political prisoners. Norzin Wangmo’s account of the beating administeredafter she and her cell mates were taken into the “old rukhag 3” courtyard relays similar wording:“Then we were taken out, and again people came and we were beaten. It wasn't possible to stop the beating, wewould just cover our heads with our hands. They mostly hit us on our heads. They beat us saying, ‘You shouted.The Chinese government and Party gives you food and clothing. What else do you need?’.” 116Once the women had been brought out into the courtyard, a general beating by PAP began:“[T]he doors were opened and we were all taken into the courtyard and beaten. Otherwise we were each kept in ourcells. There is a small courtyard and that is where we were taken. We were taken there and beaten there. Therewere more than 20 people [who beat us]. Anyone who had hands was beating us. [...] They beat us so savagely thatthere was blood everywhere, on the walls and on the floor. It looked like an abattoir. They beat us with their belts,until their belts broke due to the beating. Then they used electric batons. [...] Some [of us] had torn ears, others hadwounds in their heads. There was so much blood. When we went back to the cells we felt dizzy. It is not possibleto say that one or two had something particular, all of us were harmed. Now, when we say that here, that everyonewas like that, you can hardly believe it.” 117Using leather belts and buckles in this manner finds precedent in the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution, when it wascommon for a single person, the object of political castigation, to be beaten by groups of Red Guards wielding belts in themanner described by Unit 3 prisoners. Norzin Wangmo’s account of the beating also features PAP use of their belts:“They beat us with the [buckle] of the belt. They struck every part of our bodies, but mainly our heads. They beatus [as a group] for two hours. Then they beat us separately. Most of us were healthy before. After this some walkedaround with arms [in slings], and others walked with a limp.” 118According to several accounts received by TIN, Pema Butri was personally involved in the beating from the time she led thesecurity detail into “old rukhag 3”. At first the beating was generalised, though the women allege that Pema Butriendeavoured to participate in the beating of virtually all the prisoners before shifting her focus to specific inmates. “She beateach and every one of us,” explained Choeying Gyaltsen. “After she had beaten us, she took out the women that she didn't119like and she beat them.” Another nun present in the courtyard estimated that Pema Butri singled out about ten nuns forextra beating. 120Ngawang Sangdrol was the first prisoner to be singled out in this way. Pema Butri was convinced that she, along with SharBumpa nun Choekyi Wangmo (ordained Lobsang Choekyi), had engineered the protest. They would later become the onlyinmates of “old rukhag 3” to receive sentence extensions for their alleged role in the protest. “They were taken out and beatena lot. She beat them badly, and the soldiers beat them, kicked them.” Accounts received by TIN all concur that no singleperson organised the protest and that it occurred entirely spontaneously. Choeying Gyaltsen reveals her indignation regarding36