Rukhag 3: The Nuns of Drapchi Prison126considered provocative, upon which Pema Butri knocked her to <strong>the</strong> floor and struck her with a belt. Ano<strong>the</strong>r, Phuntsog127Choekyi (lay name Dekyi), of Garu Nunnery, suffered from a broken arm but was given no medical treatment. Two o<strong>the</strong>rnuns who were <strong>report</strong>edly singled out <strong>for</strong> particular abuse by Pema Butri were “Goekyi” (ordained Ngawang Kaldrol), a Garunun detained in 1993 along with Phuntsog Choekyi; and Phuntsog Palyang, a Garu nun detained in 1994. 128By early afternoon on 4 May, <strong>the</strong> PAP, police, and Pema Butri withdrew from “old rukhag 3”, locking <strong>the</strong> women into <strong>the</strong>ircells and leaving <strong>the</strong>m to cope as best <strong>the</strong>y could with <strong>the</strong>ir injuries. Reports concur that Ngawang Sangdrol was in <strong>the</strong> mostserious condition. Choeying Gyaltsen, who assisted in first aid, <strong>report</strong>s, “She was hit on <strong>the</strong> head with a belt [so] a lot of bloodflowed from her head. When we washed her head, during <strong>the</strong> third time <strong>the</strong> water [...] still became red in <strong>the</strong> bowl.” 129Norzin Wangmo adds:“She was to be put in solitary confinement, but all <strong>the</strong> solitary confinement cells were full, from <strong>the</strong> first of May.[...] For three days Ani Sangdrol didn't lift up her head. When she had to go to urinate, she wasn't able to pull upher shirt without help. She didn't [move her bowels] <strong>for</strong> 15 days. She got an illness inside. Then [<strong>the</strong> authorities]gave her medicine, but <strong>the</strong> medicine was useless. Then she was given powdered milk in cold water, and she stayedon a cold cement floor, and <strong>the</strong>n she got diarrhoea.” 130Nei<strong>the</strong>r <strong>the</strong> protest of 1 May, which involved only <strong>the</strong> nuns of “new rukhag 3”, nor that of 4 May, which embroiled <strong>the</strong> womenof “old rukhag 3”, would be quickly resolved. Repercussions would continue to occur in <strong>the</strong> <strong>for</strong>m of a punitive regimen <strong>for</strong>more than a year.38
Unit 3 and <strong>the</strong> Drapchi protests of May 1998Pema Butri, ‘evil spirits’, ano<strong>the</strong>r suicidePema Butri, Unit 3’s principal official, had previously received little mention, but emerges asa key figure in this <strong>report</strong>. She is described as in her <strong>for</strong>ties, originally from Shigatse (Ch:Rigaze) Prefecture, with a residence in <strong>the</strong> Zhide area of Lhasa. Her husband, Jampa, is<strong>report</strong>edly a senior official at Lhasa Prison, <strong>for</strong>merly known as Utritru. The profile providedby prisoners who have fled into exile contrasts with her reputation outside Drapchi’s walls. Sheis said to be a religious person, a regular visitor to a small chapel near <strong>the</strong> prison known asDrapchi Lhamo, or Drapchi Lhakhang. Monk attendants <strong>the</strong>re are <strong>report</strong>edly unaware of herviolent treatment of prison inmates.“Evil spirits” [Tib: dümo] is how she is reputed to address nuns in rukhag 3, often in lieu of<strong>the</strong>ir names. She has accused <strong>the</strong>m of having “hearts of stone”, and no regard <strong>for</strong> <strong>the</strong>ir families.One of <strong>the</strong> “old rukhag 3” nuns explained to TIN that some believe Pema Butri may herself bean “evil spirit”. “If you don't stand up when she passes by, <strong>the</strong>y sometimes put you in solitaryconfinement. Whatever we do, when she passes by, we have to put away <strong>the</strong> work and pay ourrespects as if she were a lama. If you don't pay your respects you are beaten a lot.”The suicide in 1995 of an orphaned farm girl, Tseyang, detained when she was age 15, is linkedto Pema Butri’s methods of intimidation. A native of Dzayul (Ch: Chayu) County in Kongpo(Ch: Gongbu) Prefecture, Tseyang was playing, throwing stones, when she accidentally hit anelderly woman on <strong>the</strong> head. The blow resulted in <strong>the</strong> woman’s death. Despite juvenile statusshe was sentenced to six years at Drapchi, placed in “old rukhag 3”, and told she must monitor<strong>the</strong> political prisoners and <strong>report</strong> to unit officials, including Pema Butri. As an orphan with nofamily members, she received no supplementary food, clothing or medicine from visitors; <strong>the</strong>nuns shared <strong>the</strong>irs. Friendship developed, with one <strong>report</strong> claiming Tseyang had expressed adesire to become a nun herself after her prison term expired. But <strong>the</strong> nuns were careful to avoidcompromising her, and avoided politically edged comments in her presence. Pema Butri,increasingly annoyed that Tseyang was not fulfilling her assigned role as an in<strong>for</strong>mant,regularly questioned <strong>the</strong> girl and threatened her with a sentence extension if she did not comply.Although <strong>the</strong> nuns advised Tseyang that her sentence was unlikely to be extended, she becameincreasingly despondent as pressure mounted and hung herself from her bunk in 1995.39
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