Passang Lhamo
Encyclopedia
Passang Lhamo is a Tibet
an nun
, activist, and singer.
Lhamo, a Tibetan Buddhist, was ordained as a nun aged 14. According to the Tibet government in exile, on 25 May 1994, Lhamo, along with four other nuns, went to Lhasa
to shout slogans and to protest over the PRC rule. They were imprisoned by the police and placed in the notorious Drapchi Prison
in November 1994 along with 13 other nuns to serve a 5-year sentence, charged with endangering state security. The CTA claims in April 1996 all the inmates of Unit 3 of Drapchi prison, consisting of nearly 100 female political prisoners, went on a hunger strike in protest of the harsh treatment they believed they were receiving in Drapchi. The week long strike caused the prison officers some concern that it might damage the reputation of the prison further if the inmates died as a result. They promised an end to the brutality.
Lhama was eventually set free on 24 May 1999, after five full years in Drapchi. She briefly returned to Penpo, but fled in exile to Dharamsala
in India where she now serves as a nun at the Ganden Choeling Nunnery, near the monastery and residence of His Holiness the Dalai Lama.
Since, she has done much towards the cause of Tibetan independence, including numerous performances singing at various traditional festivals in the United States
and Canada
.
Tibet
Tibet is a plateau region in Asia, north-east of the Himalayas. It is the traditional homeland of the Tibetan people as well as some other ethnic groups such as Monpas, Qiang, and Lhobas, and is now also inhabited by considerable numbers of Han and Hui people...
an nun
Nun
A nun is a woman who has taken vows committing her to live a spiritual life. She may be an ascetic who voluntarily chooses to leave mainstream society and live her life in prayer and contemplation in a monastery or convent...
, activist, and singer.
Lhamo, a Tibetan Buddhist, was ordained as a nun aged 14. According to the Tibet government in exile, on 25 May 1994, Lhamo, along with four other nuns, went to Lhasa
Lhasa
Lhasa is the administrative capital of the Tibet Autonomous Region in the People's Republic of China and the second most populous city on the Tibetan Plateau, after Xining. At an altitude of , Lhasa is one of the highest cities in the world...
to shout slogans and to protest over the PRC rule. They were imprisoned by the police and placed in the notorious Drapchi Prison
Drapchi Prison
Drapchi Prison, or Lhasa Prison No. 1 is the largest prison in Tibet, located in Lhasa.Originally built as a Tibetan military garrison, Drapchi was transformed into a prison after the 1959 Tibetan uprising....
in November 1994 along with 13 other nuns to serve a 5-year sentence, charged with endangering state security. The CTA claims in April 1996 all the inmates of Unit 3 of Drapchi prison, consisting of nearly 100 female political prisoners, went on a hunger strike in protest of the harsh treatment they believed they were receiving in Drapchi. The week long strike caused the prison officers some concern that it might damage the reputation of the prison further if the inmates died as a result. They promised an end to the brutality.
Lhama was eventually set free on 24 May 1999, after five full years in Drapchi. She briefly returned to Penpo, but fled in exile to Dharamsala
Dharamsala
Dharamshala or Dharamsala is a city in northern India. It was formerly known as Bhagsu; it is the winter seat of government of the state of Himachal Pradesh and the district headquarters of the Kangra district....
in India where she now serves as a nun at the Ganden Choeling Nunnery, near the monastery and residence of His Holiness the Dalai Lama.
Since, she has done much towards the cause of Tibetan independence, including numerous performances singing at various traditional festivals in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
.