DHARAMSHALA: The Chinese government, in their continued crackdown on Tibetan writers and intellectuals, sentenced a Tibetan monk to five years in prison for writing a book on Tibet and the wave of self-immolations that has swept Tibet since 2009.

Gartse Jigme, a well known Tibetan writer and monk from Gartse monastery in Amdo, was sentenced on 14 May 2013 by Tsekhog (Ch: Zekog) County People’s Court in Malho (Ch: Huangnan). He was first arrested on 1 January 2013 and was kept in detention at Rebkong (Ch: Tongren) County in Malho Prefecture till the sentence was pronounced.

Gartse Jigme has earlier written two books on Tibet. The book in question is the second edition of his second book, Tsenpoi Nyingtop (Eng: King’s valour). It was seized by police from the publishers’ before it could be printed. He was also briefly detained in April 2011 for his views expressed in his book.

He is also a respected member of the monastic community and has been vocal about government policies that threatened people’s daily lives in the region, and has repeatedly urged the Chinese government to end the ill-founded accusations levelled by the authorities against Tibetan religion and practitioners, that has detrimental impact on Tibetan religious culture.

Gartse Jigme was born in Garwa nomadic village of Gartse Township in Rebkong County. He has been writing since 1999 and had won several literary prizes. His first book, ‘Musings on My Reflections’ received favorable reviews from friends and others in the community. He was also a Buddhist scholar having studied and successfully passed major Buddhist courses at his monastery in 2003.