Former political prisoner Ngawang Gyaltsen alias Tsawa Khampa has passed away at Tibet’s capital city of Lhasa on 2 February 2022. He was from Toelung Dechen county of Lhasa city and formally ordained at Drepung Monastery in the early eighties. A brief biography of late Ngawang Gyaltsen according to the book mirap sarpae langtso dun jong (The youthful leap of the new generation) by Jamphel Monlam;  Ngawang Gyaltsen participated in the peaceful demonstrations led by the Drepung monks on 27 September 1987. He was detained for four months by Lhasa police and released. Following this, he distributed documents containing the call for “Tibetan Independence”.  He was again arrested and detained by Tibetan Autonomous Region police on 13 May 1989 at Dram on the charges of participating in the Independence demonstrations and trespassing international border. On 28 November 1989, he was trialed in front of 1500 people at the Lhasa Intermediate People’s Court and was sentenced to a 17 years prison term, and stripped of political rights for 5 years. He was moved to Drapchi prison on 14 January 1990. His cellmate at Drapchi prison, Kalsang Thupten immediately passed after an interrogation session called by the warden of Drapchi. After his release, he worked as an editor at Kagyur publications. He will be remembered for his unwavering spirit for Tibet and pray for his swift rebirth in the land of snows