The death of Geshe Shersang Gyatso, a 52-year-old senior monk at Tsang Monastery in Amdo, eastern Tibet, has thrown a harsh spotlight on Beijing’s relentless assault on Tibetan religious life. On August 18, Geshe Shersang ended his life by leaping from the upper floor of the monastery’s shop building – an act Tibetans describe not as despair, but as protest.