Tibet: My Story

I read the book in Spanish, and even though i am English, the real Pema came through. Kindness itself and far too modest. I count myself proud to have known and count her a friend.

Jetsun Pema is the younger sister of the Dalai Lama, and has played a major part in the care and education of refugee Tibetan children. This book tells the story of Jetsun Pema's childhood in Tibet before the ruthless Chinese Communist invasion of 1949, and her subsequent flight and education in India, Switzerland and England. It also tells of the oppression by the Chinese Communist occupation of Tibet and the genocide and cultural destruction of the Tibetan people in which 1 200 000 Tibetan men, women and children have been ruthlessly exterminated by the Chinese Communists. Children were forced to kill their parents and parents forced to applaud the execution of their children on pain of death, during thamzing (Chinese Communist public punishment sessions). Very young children were forced to see their parents being dragged through the streets of the village or town and then beaten, stoned and finally executed, simply because they had worked for the previous government or were heirs to landed property.Millions of Chinese who have been brought into Tibet to demographically swamp the indigenous Tibetans. Nuns were raped and monasteries and landmarks destroyed. Millions of Tibetan children have starved to death in the Chinese created famine and food taken from the Tibetans and transferred to the Chinese or exported to Arab countries. This is all told in this book by Jetsun Pema. Pema also tells of her love for and education and care of the thousands of Tibetan children who have passed through SOS children's villages in India. What results is a compassionate and passionate account by a great woman, and a cry for action on behalf of the Tibetan people before they are completely destroyed. The world is clearly not listening, the international media and universities preferring to condemn Israel for self-defence and the USA for the war against terrorism, while real atrocities and genocide go on without a single word of protest. Hard-core Communists in fact applaud these atrocities as they do atrocities and murde the world over. Nice people, Communists, aren't they?

An interesting yet easy-to-read account by the sister of the Dalai Lama about life growing up in Tibet and eventually relocating due to the Chinese invasion. Wonderful insights and stories, and a different perspective on His Holiness the Dalai Lama.

This book is more than a story of one life. It is the story of a whole nation and the struggles that it endured at the hands of the Chinese, which continue today. Jetsun Pema paints a wonderful picture of a complex people, in simple terms. I recommend highly!