Time 10:30 AM Deaths 1 (Kelsang Namtso) Arrest(s) 32 Location Nangpa La, Namche | First reporter MountEverest.net Non-fatal injuries A few (unknown number) Start date September 30, 2006 | |
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Type Shooting of civilian by border guard | ||
The Nangpa La shooting incident happened on September 30, 2006 when a group of unarmed Tibetan refugees attempted to flee Tibet via the Nangpa La pass. They were fired upon by Chinese border guards. Kelsang Namtso, a 17-year-old nun, was killed and a number were injured. Of the Tibetan group, 41 reached India, but 32 were taken into custody by Chinese border guards — most were later released, but some are still unaccounted for. Some of those released claimed they have suffered torture and hard labor. Nangpa La is a traditional trade route between Tibet and Nepal. The victims were shot from a distance by border guards as they moved slowly through chest-deep snow. The Chinese government initially denied the charges, but Kelsang's death was filmed by a Romanian photographer, who was nearby as part of a climbing expedition. After Romanian photographer Sergiu Matei smuggled the video out of Tibet, it became headline news around the world, drawing attention to the plight of Tibetans under Chinese rule/occupation.
Contents
The shooting incident
On September 30, 2006, a group of 75 Tibetans, including some children, embarked on an overland boarder-crossing trip to join the Dalai Lama in exile in Dharamsala, India. They were accompanied by 2 guides. Chinese border guards of the People's Armed Police opened fire on the group and killed Kelsang Namtso, a 17-year-old nun. Kunsang Namgyal, a 23-year-old man, was hit in the leg twice, then taken away by the Chinese border guard. Even though the group was not armed, the Chinese initially claimed that their soldiers fired in self-defense. Forty-one of the 75 refugees, and 2 guides, reached the Tibetan Refugee Transit Center in Kathmandu, Nepal. Two weeks later they arrived at their destination in Dharamsala, India.
Nangpa La Pass is a common trade route between Tibet and the Khumbu region of Nepal. It is visible from the nearby Cho Oyu mountain and its mountaineering base camps, and is located about 30 km northwest of Mount Everest. Dozens of foreign mountaineers who were present that morning on Cho Oyu witnessed the incident. At least two tried to contact the outside world as soon as they could despite an atmosphere of "intimidation" to remain quiet. The first news report to the outside world appeared on ExplorersWeb. Some of the foreign climbers eventually released photographs, and most significantly, film of the incident by Romanian Sergiu Matei, a cameraman at Pro TV, was smuggled out of the country. Sergiu Matei also helped a Tibetan pilgrim hide, fed him and gave him clothes for about 10 hours before he successfully crossed the border into Nepal. The mountaineers where able to produce numerous images and videos of the incident, including images of Chinese soldiers escorting the survivors through advanced base camp at Cho Oyu, and footage of People's Armed Police personnel shooting the refuges from great distance. There were rumors of seven more refugees killed execution style, but this later proved false. In total, only one person, Kelsang Namtso, was killed during the incident; however, there were a number of injured.
Aftermath
Following the arrival in India of the survivors of the shootings of September 30, the Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy (TCHRD) held a press conference at the Press Club of India (PCI), New Delhi, on 23 October 2006. Reportedly the following media attended: Reuters, AFP, AP, Sydney Morning Herald, CNN-IBN, Infocell, Deutsche Welle, Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, Societe Radio-Canada, Swedish Radio, Press Trust of India, Pio TV, CBS News, Radio Free Asia, Voice of Tibet, Phayul and other media representatives. At the press conference one of the refugees said his reason for escaping from Tibet was to see, and receive blessings from, the Dalai Lama.
It was confirmed, on October 23, 2006, by Chinese authorities that one person - Kelsang Namtso, a 17-year-old Buddhist nun - was killed immediately during the September 30 shooting. China had earlier stated one of those captured on Nangpa La died in hospital later from "a lack of oxygen", but after the video footage taken by western climbers was released, they changed the story to reflect the real case - she had been killed by gunfire. International law requires that the use of firearms by border patrols take place only as a last resort, and when life is at risk. In accordance with eyewitness statements, editors and politicians in many countries found this was not apparent in the video footage. The incident received global media attention concerning the issues of the Chinese occupation of Tibet and human rights violations in Tibet. It also received serious attention from a growing number of governments worldwide. On November 30, 2006 at the meeting of the "UN Human Rights Council in Geneva" (Switzerland) 16 NGOs in a joint statement questioned the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights on the steps taken concerning the 30 September killing of a Tibetan in the Nangpa Pass. However, the High Commissioner did not respond to questions posed about the Nangpa Pass killing.
Missing persons
Chinese authorities have not released information concerning the following 18 people, who were alleged missing. Jamyang Samten, age 14, did eventually leave Tibet. If his story is any indication, first time offenders could be released, but not before suffering torture, deprivation and hard labor. The names were collated and forwarded (via email) by Students For A Free Tibet.
Of the original 75 refugees who attempted to cross the border on September 30, 2006, 17 remain unaccounted for, either because the Chinese government would punish them if they spoke out or may have died during arrest, torture and detention. Since 42 refugees arrived safely in Nepal—including Jamyang Samten—and Kelsang Namtso was the one confirmed casualty, the remaining 15 were most likely the children who were detained for a short time and then released.
Portrayal in the arts
A documentary called Tibet: Murder in the Snow, based on this incident, was released in 2008 by 360 Degree Films, an Australian production company, working in collaboration with the BBC.
English journalist Jonathan Green's 2010 book is Murder in the High Himalayas, about the Nangpa La shootings. It is based on his earlier article in Men's Journal called "Murder at 19,000 Feet" which has been optioned by Vigorous Pictures to be made into a film of the same name, directed by Jake Scott.