A Monk in Tibet Launches Book on 2008 Peaceful Protests Tuesday, 29 March 2011, 2:07 p.m.

DHARAMSHALA: Lhaden, a Tibetan monk has launched a book on 2008 Tibetan people's peaceful protests against the misrule of the Chinese government this month in Tibet. The book was launched at the third anniversary of the protest, and on the occasion of the ongoing 16th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) in Geneva, Switzerland. 

Lhaden noted in his foreword of the book that he has released the book during the sixteenth session of the United Nations Human Rights Council to appeal the council to listen to the voiceless and oppressed people. He wrote poetically, “while mortgaging my life, I offer this book as a voice of the oppressed and as an appeal” for the council to take action in Tibet. 
 
His book is titled 'Tse Sog Gi Trun Pe Ke-cha' in Tibetan, meaning 'Words Uttered With Life At Risk'. He has meticulously written the book for over three years on his observations and arguments regarding causes and consequences of the mass uprising by Tibetans in 2008. 

The 255 pages book with five chapters also covers commentaries on Kyegudo earthquake, leaders in Tibet and religion, etc. The first chapter of the book exclusively covers 2008 mass uprising with a timeline of protest events, causes, scope, clampdown, analysis by Chinese scholars, police brutality and government propaganda against His Holiness the Dalai Lama. 

Lhaden was born in 1980 at Dida Village, Pema County, Golog in Amdo province of Tibet. When he was eleven years old, he was admitted to his local monastery and four years later joined Serthar Buddhist Institute. At the age of 28, he studied at Drepung and Sera Monasteries in Lhasa. Lhaden takes a keen interest in writing and has been doing active writing since he was 22 and won many accolades. Since 2008, he has been visiting various places in Tibet to experience and record observations for his book 'Tse Sog Gi Trun Pe Ke-cha'. 

Since 2008, about 70 Tibetan writers, bloggers and cultural figures have been harassed, beaten, detained and arrested over the content of their work by the Chinese authorities in Tibet, reports  the Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy on 24 March 2011. In the 16th session of UNHRC, Mr. Jampa Monlam, Assistant Director of the centre, also said that there is no improvement of human rights in Tibet.

The book (in Tibetan language, PDF 2.3 MB) is available for download here