China secretly sentences Tibetan writer to five years

Gartse Jigme in an undated photo and a copy of his book, The Warrior's Courage. DHARAMSHALA, May 17: Chinese authorities in eastern Tibet have secretly sentenced a well-known Tibetan writer to five years in prison for expressing his viewpoints on issues considered politically sensitive by Beijing. Gartse Jigme, 36, a monk at the Gartse Monastery was sentenced on May 14 by a Chinese court in Tsekhog, Malho according to exile sources. His current condition and whereabouts remain unknown. Jigme was arrested on January 1 earlier this year following a raid on his monastic quarters. Chinese authorities searched his personal belongings, including his computer, and whisked his away to Siling. Local authorities also issued a ban on the sale of his book, ‘Tsenpoi Nyingtob’ (The Warrior’s Courage). The second volume of his book has 25-chapters focusing on issues such as the ongoing wave of self-immolations in Tibet, the Dalai Lama, the Tibetan government-in-exile and the rights of the minority in China. According to sources, the distribution of his book, The Warriors Courage, was given as a reason for his detention. Gartse Jigme was born in Gartse in Rebkong region of Malho. He started writing in 1999 and has penned hundreds of essays concerning issue related to Tibet. In 2005, Jigme published his first book ‘Bsam bzhigs nyul ba'i zin tho’ (Diary of Wandering Thoughts). Jigme was briefly detained in April 2011 and suffered brutal torture at the hands of Chinese authorities after he published the first volume of ‘The Warrior’s Courage.’ Exiled Tibetan writer Bhuchung Sonam in his book, ‘Yak Horns,’ translates Jigme’s pledge as stated in his banned book: As a Tibetan, I will never give up the struggle for the rights of my people As a religious person, I will never criticize the leader of my religion As a writer, I am committed to the power of truth and reality This is the pledge I make to my fellow Tibetans. Tibetan writers, singers, and artists promoting Tibetan national identity and culture have been the target of China’s ongoing crackdown on intellectuals, especially after the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Since 2009, as many as 117 Tibetans living under China’s rule have set themselves on fire demanding freedom and the return of His Holiness the Dalai Lama from exile.