Climbers Witness Tibetan Shootings

A British climber witnessed Chinese troops fatally shooting at least one Tibetan refugee as a group of Tibetans tried to enter Nepal over a Himalayan pass.

The BBC reports that Steve Marsh was resting at a camp on Cho Oyu when he witnessed border guards shooting dead a young nun as a column of 25 Tibetans attempted to cross the border via a high glacial pass.

Now MountEverest.net is reporting that the Chinese government has admitted the shooting but claims that the Chinese guards were acting in self defence after being 'attacked' by the refugees, one of whom was reported killed and two injured 'including one who died later of altitude sickness'.

A Romanian cameraman is reported to have videoed the incident, which took place on September 30 with the video apparently contradicting the Chinese claims as it shows no confrontation, but rather the guards shooting at a line of distant people trekking through the snow.

The pass is a common escape route for Tibetans anxious to flee the country, which is under Chinese rule.

Speak Out

Many walkers and climbers will be more than a little uneasy that a large number of outdoor clothing and equipment brands, both European and American, manufacture in China for business reasons and some will take the decision to boycott such products.

Others argue that the best hope of liberalising China is to help it become part of a world economy in the hope that greater prosperity will eventually bring less draconian politics.

The response of Free Tibet is to call on people to write to UN representatives and relevant UK politicians including your own MP 'calling for the UN agencies and the international community to take immediate steps to ensure the safety of Tibetan refugees fleeing into Nepal and launch an independent and transparent investigation into the killings'.