MB Civic

Cho Oyu breaking news: ABC swarmed by Chinese Army-Tibetans shot.

Mount Everest.Net
Oct 2, 2006

A reliable source close to ExplorersWeb
who wishes to be undisclosed until he gets
out of China, reported alarming news this
morning in the middle of the Cho Oyu
massive summit push.

A group of Tibetans were allegedly shot on
their way to Langpa La pass, at Nepal’s
borderline; some climbers chose to
evacuate ABC when it was swarmed by
Chinese army after the shootout. “There is
a story that happened here on the 30th
and the 1st that is not being told,” writes
the climber. “It is tragic, it is haunting, and
it is apparently all too real for Tibetans.”
Below the full report:

Shooting at Nangpa La

“Early morning of September 30th, I
walked out of our dining tent to gaze over
towards the Nangpa La pass. “I saw a line
of Tibetans heading towards the start of
the pass – a common sight, as the trade
routes are open this time of year.”

“Then, without warning, shots rang out.
Over, and over and over. Then the line of
people started to run uphill – they were at
19,000ft. Apparently the Chinese army was
tipped off about their attempted escape,
and had showed up with guns.”

“2 people were down, and they weren’t
getting up” “Watching the line snake off
through the snow, as the shots rang out,
we saw two shapes fall. The binoculars
confirmed it: 2 people were down, and they
weren’t getting up. Then more Chinese
army swarmed through ABC.”

According to the climber, Tibetans on the
mountain later said that up to seven
people might have been shot dead, their
bodies then shoved into a crevasse not far
from Cho Oyu BC.

A traders, trekkers and refuges route the
wide Nangpa La pass, located between
Tibet and Nepal, has been a common
traders’ route for centuries. In fact, many
among The Sherpa people reached Nepal
400 years ago across this col.

Since the Chinese invasion of Tibet, a large
number of refugees added to the yak
caravans. Whilst many Tibetans cross the
pass in order to sell their traditional craft
and Chinese goods in Namche Bazaar’s
Saturday market and then come back,
some seek refuge in Nepal or India. The
Nangpa La is also open to foreign trekkers.

The fact is, caravans across the Nangpa La
are often seen by climbers in Cho Oyu’s
ABC, located close by. Tibetan traders cross
the pass not only in winter (when no one is
watching), but also during the climbing
season.

Not the first time

These unregistered travelers have rarely
raised attention from the Chinese troops in
BC, neither from the Liason Officer always
present in ABC. Some climbing teams
through the years have however reported
on hearing shots. But this is the first time
we have first-hand reports of a westerner
witnessing people being shot on the way to
Nepal’s border.

Nevertheless, it is not the first time such a
fact hit the news. Canada’s Tibet
Committee reported on a similar incident
on December 4, 2003.

“Last year, there were separate eyewitness
reports by Western mountain climbers of
Chinese border police firing upon Tibetan
refugees as well as pursuing refugees
across Nangpa la into Nepal territory,” the
NGO’s reported. “In mid October of this
year, a group of 34 Tibetan refugees were
fired upon by Chinese border security
while attempting to cross into Nepal over
Nangpa La.”

“When the machine gun fire started we ran
in all directions”

According to the report, one of the
refugees who finally made it to Nepal
spoke with CTC in Kathmandu: “When the
machine gun fire started hitting around us,
we ran in all directions,” the 25 year old
survivor said. “We ran back where we came
from just trying to avoid the army. After
hiding from the gun blasts for many hours,
we climbed over Nangpa La in the middle
of the night and walked the entire day on
the Nepal side as we were so scared.”

Approximately 2,500 Tibetans annually
escape from Tibetan enroute to India,
according to the Canada Tibet Committee.
Approximately a third of those refugees
are children under 18 years who are
seeking a Tibetan language education
unavailable to them under Chinese rule.
Approximately one quarter of the refugees
who successfully escape Tibet are monks
and nuns who flee due to Chinese
repression of religious beliefs and practices.

Nangpa La is situated only a few kilometres
west of Cho Oyu (5,716m/18,753ft). The
wide, glaciated pass serves as the main
trading route between the Tibetans and
the Sherpas of Khumbu.

The Nangpa La has also been used
by “illegal” climbers who would start from
Nepal and then cross the border in order
to summit Cho Chu without obtaining
a climbing permit. Trespassing mostly
happened during off season climbs and
in past decades, when Chinese patrols were
scarce in the area.