Many were imprisoned for not turning their back on the Dalai Lama or even refusing to give up pictures of him. Since the cultural revolution many monasteries had been largely destroyed. Rebuilding has been painfully slow. The slightest resistance to Chinese interference was met by the harshest punishment. Imprisonment is for a long time.
Imprisonment means years of brutal beatings with infrequent visitors from the outside.
And when imprisonment finally ends, monks are expelled from their monastery and exiled to their home village. Many try to escape to India or Nepal. Many do not make it. We were told on several occasions that all monks are afraid. When asked what message they would like me to take back to America, I was told to say that they are not allowed to practice their religion and that the people are suffering greatly.