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Rukhag 3: The Nuns of Drapchi PrisonThose put into solitary confinement and not receiving sentence extensions were kept there for seven months, until December.Four were nuns from Chubsang nunnery. Zangmo and Khetsun Yeshe (lay name Lhagpa) were both 19 years old when theywere detained a week apart for participating in small-scale demonstrations in February 1995. Zangmo was sentenced to sixyears; Khetsun Yeshe received a five year term. Two more were detained in 1996 on the birthday of the Dalai Lama, 6 July.Tsenyi, then age 19, was given a four year sentence; Lobsang Choedron, 21, received three years.Three nuns of Chimelung Nunnery in Toelung Dechen County served seven months in solitary before rejoining 12-personcells: Ngawang Choezom (lay name Oezer Drolma), Ngawang Dzompa (lay name Jangchub Drolma) and Yeshe Choedron.All were 22 or 23 years of age when they demonstrated on 10 March 1995, the anniversary of the Lhasa Uprising. YesheChoedron was sentenced to five years, the others received four years. Another Chimelung nun, Ngawang Yeshe (lay nameKalsang Drolma), had demonstrated with them and received a four year sentence, but she was given an early release soonafter she met members of an American delegation preparing a report on religious freedom in China, and was not in Drapchiin May 1998. The American group visited Drapchi on 25 February 1998.Another nun held in solitary for seven months was Sanggye Choedron from Rangjung nunnery (lay name Tsamchoe Drolkar),who had demonstrated with Drugkyi Pema, one of the deceased, in February 1995 and had received a six year sentence.Others were Damchoe Drolma and Namdrol Wangmo (lay name Yandrol) of Shar Bumpa Nunnery, both with six yearsentences, Rinchen Pema (lay name Migmar) of Galo Nunnery, with a five year sentence, and Palchen of Gyabdrag Nunnery,who received a five year term. They had also been detained on different days in February 1995 for demonstrating. TsetenDrolkar of Nakar Nunnery was one of the few “new rukhag 3” nuns detained before 1995. Her six year sentence was imposedfor a Barkor demonstration in July 1994.Initial reports of the 1 May events alleged a higher number placed into solitary confinement. Analysis has indicated that,among other factors, the higher number included punishments not related to May 1998. Three “new rukhag 3” prisoners hadalready spent long periods in solitary confinement before May, and would remain in their solitary cells until December 1998.The total number of “new rukhag 3” nuns in solitary as of May 1998, including those three, was 19, 18 of whom were nuns.Sixteen had been put into solitary after 1 May. One nun now in exile confirms the sub-20 figure:“After the 1 May incidents, a total of 18 nuns from the new rukhag were in solitary confinement. This included thethree nuns who were taken out of solitary confinement three months later and had their sentence extended, and thetwo nuns who had sang songs during Losar 1997.” 14748