This study focuses on the struggle of Tibetans for the recognition of their most fundamental rights and freedoms. In addition, it investigates the correlation between violations of cultural rights and the violence committed by state actors against a community rooted in a profoundly Buddhist society.

Collaboration with Tibetans was at the heart of the participative approach adopted in this interdisciplinary study. It is based on the first-hand testimonies of Tibetan exiles who have sought asylum in Switzerland. It uncovers the experiences, perceptions and opinions of Tibetans, most of whom have suffered various forms of abuse in Tibet.

The approach adopted in this book draws on the 2007 Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and 2007 Declaration de Fribourg, which reflect the essential role of cultural rights. It also focuses on the concept of genocide developed by Raphael Lemkin (1900-1959). On this basis, it is shown that several examples of techniques of genocide were, and still are, being employed in Tibet (LEMKIN 1944:82-90). The PRC has violently disrupted the natural process of cultural change in Tibet, through forced cultural assimilation which continues to engender violence.

Tibetans' resilience, nonviolence and commitment to peace are powerful coping mechanisms. Yet, extreme self-violence continues: since 1998, 157 self-immolations have been reported.

Efforts must continue to advocate for human rights in Tibet, particularly when it comes to issues of freedoms of expression, religion, assembly and of movement, in order to secure a sustainable peace that would benefit both Tibet and the PRC.

Whispers from the Land of Snows: Culture-Based Violence in Tibet, Fanny Iona Morel, Globethics.Net, Paperback, 224 pp, $24.00

Fanny Iona Morel (1982-) who holds a Bachelor of Arts from Stirling University and a Master of Arts from Neuchatel University is a researcher and human rights specialist. She has worked with the Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development, UNHCR and the Observatory of Diversity and Cultural Rights, at the Interdisciplinary Institute of Ethics and Human Rights of the University of Fribourg.

CONTENTS: Whispers from the Land of Snows
Acronyms			7
Acknowledgements			9
Introduction			11
1	Methodology: The Voice of Tibetans		17
	Introduction		17
	1.1	Tibet and China's Tibet	18
	1.2	Religious Freedom: A Legal Right	21
	1.3	Sources and Interviews	22
	1.4	Analysis of Testimonies	26
	Conclusion		27
2	The Dragon's Red Flag		29
	Introduction		29
	2.1	Recalling Violence: Takeover and Stranglehold	30
	2.2	Tibetans Living in Fear	46
	2.3	Atrocity Crimes in Tibet	57
	Conclusion		62
3	Forced Cultural Assimilation		65
	Introduction		65
	3.1	Monasticism	68
	3.2	Learning Opportunities	78
	3.3	The Tibetan Language	86
	3.4	The Settlement of Nomads and the Environment	91
	Conclusion		103
4	The Right to Know and the Monopoly of Truth		105
	Introduction		105
	4.1	Distorting History	106
	4.2	Heritage Interpretations	112
	4.3	The Dalai Lama, His Succession and the CCP	115
	Conclusion		121
5	Dealing with Traumas and the Pain of Uncertainty		123
	Introduction		123
	5.1	Self-immolations	124
	5.2	Addressing Tibetans' Grievances: The Middle Way Approach	128
	5.3	Tibetan Resiliency and the Pursuit of Peace	131
	Conclusion		137
Conclusion			139
Appendices			145
Bibliography			201