MB Civic

China tries to clamp down on climbers
who saw Tibet killings (ANI)

-London, Oct 11 (ANI):
Chinese officials in Kathmandu are trying to track down
and silence the hundreds of western climbers
and sherpas who witnessed the killing of
Tibetan refugees on the Nangpa La
mountain pass last week. British
mountaineers had seen Chinese border
guards kill a woman and a group of
children who were trying to ross over to
Nepal. The woman was later identified as a
17-year-old nun Kelsang Namtso.

A 13-year-old boy was also gunned down
during 15 minutes of shooting witnessed
by the Western climbers, including two
British policemen, 1,000 yards away at Cho
Oyu camp.

Later three Chinese soldiers were seen
marching the children through the camp –
some 12 miles west of Mount Everest – as
climbers and Sherpas looked on.

Chinese officials could not be contacted.

But fears have been expressed over the
safety of western climbers still in Tibet as
well as over the fact that China might
clamp down on profitable Everest
expeditions, which costs up to 30,000
pounds.

Steve Lawes, one of the British police
officers who witnessed the shooting said
the Chinese Embassy in Kathmandu called
him for an interview. “It was intimidating
atmosphere as the security personnel
“took over” the camp at Cho Oyu, on the
border between Tibet and Nepal. The
children were in single file, about six feet
away from me. They didn’t see us – they
weren’t looking around the way kids
normally would, they were too frightened.
By that time, advance base camp was
crawling with soldiers. We were doing our
best not to do anything that might spark
off more violence,” The Independent
quoted him as saying.

“The shooting happened at around
10:30am on 30 September. A group of
between 20 and 30 people on foot [was]
heading towards the Nangpa La Pass. Then
those of us at advance base camp heard
two shots, which may have been warning
shots.