Al Jazeera Correspondent - Mustang: A Kingdom on the Edge

[silwaldpn]

Every one is concerned about their country so is china.But the tibtetian peoples who are nepalese now should have right to live like other nepalese people.

[zeel54]

BRAVO STEVE CHAO ....YOU ARE THE BEST REPORTER EVER...FREE TIBET!

[wangyal3y4]

I'm very much touched after watching this resourceful video. It deeply saddens me to see nepali govt's ignorance towards Mustang. Although, Nepali govt's collects huge taxes from tourists and increasing himalayan viagra businesses.But we have not witnessed any major progress in our land .We don't have a hospital and higher secondary school in the whole Mustang.Isn't that weird ? Our fundamental need is our prime concern .it should be acknowledged by ones in the Central Govt .If we Have one ??

[TheGurung10]

Tibetans should not use our land to protest

[rocknrupc]

@tenyang85 I aint proud but have to accept Nepal government is being funded by different countries.China is one of the Leading countries.I guess u know it, u must be reading "nepali newspaper" with loads of info. Look at video at 26:47, those guys with straightened hair, and dead-locked hair could best describe the situation of MUstang where there is no electricity, water, no means of transportation and so on, serously??BTW dont worry about my backyard, you better watch your front door;)

[rocknrupc]

@unknownlungali, my home is about 40 km south form the border of china and 145 north-east of Kathmandu, does that helped you mate? I am Nepali with pride. If someone had to show REAL CHINA, why use Nepal? WHy not India, Pakistan and any other nation? COz, it is convincing to show a poor and small country being suppressed? IF whole world is after china for the system of government they have, I too would not accept communism but Using Nepal hurts mate!!

[rocknrupc]

@USAKANCHI You claimed he did this for the RIGHTS FOR TIBETANS, I agree humanity is deterioting in Tibet, everyone should show support.BUt, why Stevie had to show that China is kinda ruling Nepal. Look at your name itself, USAKANCHI, u must be reading news about Nepal, right? Did he even showed how people of MUstang survive with sarvation? Tell me how this video is supporting MUstang? You better create some strong argument else Childish comments are not accepted.

[maharaja0123]

steve chao why are you giving wrong information to the world about mustang......its in nepal and it has got its own culture and rituals which shows the himalayan culture of nepal. mustang border is with tibet and mustang have got nothing to do with tibet and most of the people who live there are thakali who were originated in nepal not in Tibet. part of the information you gave is wrong

[michalthoma]

The images are stunning though the story is confused at the best. It mixes too much together. Mustang dilemma is development and/or conservation, it has totally nothing to do with Free Tibet movement or Chinese imperialism. And please mind that Nilgiri peak is not Dhaulagiri.

[unknownlungali]

& rocknrupc.... Firstly I doubted you aren't Nepali.. You better knew the mess with Nepal and India are covered by the whole world's media.. But no bodies dear to cover the mess that we got china except Steve chao.. We should salute for his meaningful and powerful documentary, which showed the real china!!

[unknownlungali]

Steve chao try to open our eyes the realistic things that are going on and you still blaming him.. Shame on you.. Rather you shouldnt born as Nepali

[unknownlungali]

Shame on you@ bikos

[bik0s]

why is this man fueling the rage against the country???common man go to kathmandu..life is no better there..it will take time to reach the remote place..stop this nonsense against nepal..

[bik0s]

sale j payo tehi news..k khoya jasto mustang lai tibet sanga relate gareko???mustang vaneko nepal ho...mustang ma ta thakali haru baschan haina ra???((thak-khola ma hurkeko civilization??))mustang vaneko totally himalayan-nepali society haina???testo saro tibetan infulence cha ra??kohi teta tira ko sathi le spasta parna paryo..

[samden7nyendak]

Unexceptionally great documentary.. my congratulations to steve chao for untainted great journalism or bringing the hidden kingdom mustang its history, culture and plight of its people and its intertwined way of life and culture with tibet... my heartfelt thanks to Al Jazeera's for supporting and showing such a documentary

[shresthanoz]

when i was in  Kodari a year back, my camera was captured as well like in @36.26 even though i was still in Nepalese soil!

[McEdourdoo]

Under the CHinese or under the Communist? There is hell a difference, OK？

[patrickmahoney]

“When you first arrive here, you are overwhelmed by the sheer beauty of this place and its people; but spend some time here, as we have, and you get a sense that within this peaceful landscape there are major forces at play. Weather they be economic or political. And these forces, unfortunately, may be bringing an end to what is what is the world’s most pure and ancient cultures. The hope is, that an essence of this culture may somehow be preserved.”

[patrickmahoney]

The narrator is very perceptive. The dedication of my books, which took 5 years of my life to produce, is for the preservation of the children of Mustang. This is how important this place and its people are. Lets do whatt we can to help Mustang! :-)

[patrickmahoney]

To make donations to the children's school in Mustang, go to this safe site and make a donation. WW(dot)himalayas-children.ch/e­n/donation-sponsorship(dot)htm­l This is a very good video, as it is going to shed open light on this place, as we have been trying to keep them safe from Chinese invasion for 12 years now. The only way to prevent this is to let the world know what is at stake.

[ttsering]

Thank you Steve

[rocknrupc]

I could list hundreds of fallacies in this video. Steve, you did great job to create anti-Chinese sentiments to those who watch this video. But, not me. These are about 95 % border dispute between Nepal and India. Many Nepali women are raped, every day thousands of Nepalese are robbed in border by India. You would not make documentary of this, would you? You would not see any profit on it, do you? BTW, I am not a supporter of Chinese government in Tibet and Westerns in rest of the world.

[USAKANCHI]

@rocknrupc You are just pathetic son ... THE THING HE IS DOING IS CALLED HUMANITY !! so what you telling me is ANURADHA KOIRALA who protects Nepalese girl crossing the border did everything for money is wrong? NO SHE IS RIGHT you know that very well.. BUT the thing is he is doing this for the TIBETANS for the RIGHTS.. please donot disgrace his work..This documentary is very authentic ... support Mustang and all the Nepalese in any part of the world..

[rocknrupc]

2) Nepal will never have threat of invasion from China. The high Himalaya would just make impossible. Eight of the ten Highest peak lies between two countries. Right now, China invading any other country is just impossible as whole world is against them.

3) Nepal is a developing country. There are only un-blacktopped road in most of the country. So, Why only Mustang? (My house is only 100 miles from Kathmandu (The capital city), we have the same type of road Steve drove on.)

[rocknrupc]

After reading all the comments below, I could not stop myself from leaving a comment. For the west, this video may reflect the Chinese Emperor in making. Being a Nepali and living in Nepal whole life, I found a lot of fallacies in this video.

1) I have never heard Chinese government funding Nepali Police Force. And, how on earth a Steve Chao would know in visiting Nepal once.

[tenyang85]

@rocknrupc: hey... u are way too funny... u never heard of chinese government funding nepali police force... check newspapers, especially the nepali newspaper.., u will get loads of info abt these things... funny thing.. styaing in nepal u dnt know who is funding where???? then i guess u wn't even now wht is happening at backyard of ur house... wake up man!!!

[nomsdeguerre]

Well I am Nepalese, and our Tibetan brothers and sisters are more than welcome... We r happy to be part of your struggle.

To the Chinese, fuckkk uuuuu

[Sanjeevdevs]

Each Citizens Have Rights to Live Free in the Country where S/he is Born.

Are We Being China's Nepal?

We Need to Be Skeptic on their Moves!!

[LAYGPOT]

Most Nepalese seem to have their heads in the sand on the fact that the real threat to Nepalese security and sovereignty is China. China has turned Nepal into 'China's Nepal.'

[sakahari]

धोतीले बरु मैला टिपेर जोगार गर्छ, चाईनिजहरु पैसा जम्मा गर्छ, फोहोर मैला छोडेर जान्छ ।

[nepaliboy89]

they are coming inside our border and have been looting the nepalese villages and raping the girls.Our country is small so we can't do anything against india but should'nt you be making documentries on those poor country men of mine too??? India will soon occupy Nepal soon so please highllight our situatuion too.

But we are not weak or afraid we will fight till our death if time comes

[tenyang85]

@nepaliboy89 hello nepali boy, try to go to khasa, tyati bela tha huncha chinese le nepali people lai kati ko hepda recha bhanera.... ani compare gara indian ra chinese border police ko bich ma..

[nepaliboy89]

I believe that this video is posted originally by the aljazeera channel if it is true than i have a suggestion. You are making lots of videos like this but why are you guys giving importance to those who have already been occupied China will never let tibet go that's the fact. But isn't it your responsibility to see other countries too like my country nepal. A small country between two huge giants China and Nepal. India has already captured more than 100,000 hectars of our land illegally

[NepaliBiraj]

I agreed with the King of Mustang Jigme Parbal Bista That it is their right to be free in their own land, whoever the people are and wherever they are. But my question to the Steve Chao is what exactly you are trying to show and what your intuition behind this documentary is. Talking about the Tibetan Refugees, we (Nepal government) are not allowed to ease their access directly in to the Nepal as we are long been suffering from Bhutanese refugees related problem.

[NepaliBiraj]

This could affect the relationship between two countries and we cannot let the activities go on if it is identified as anti country activities by the respective government. If such activities are posing threat to their sovereignty, it is our responsibility to stop that. And you are relating Buddhist culture with politics which I object in all the sense and is ridiculous.

[NepaliBiraj]

I believe on "gentleman" agreement with the UNHCR and request my government to allow the refugees safe passage through Nepal to any other country.

[tsewayod1]

Indian Government has to be careful for this Chinese building road to the Mustang area and soon they are going occupying Nepal.  they invest lots of money on Nepal by lots of reason. not by mercy or kindness...

[Dipsur1]

I love My Country "NEPAL"....& Love This Place Mustang.I hav lots of tibetan friends & Bhutanise too,and i never felt like they r others.....We all live together, eat in the same plate,celebrate all fest. It dosent matter where u from. We live together. But By watching this video I m so ashamed of my government,the way they are treating peoples living in mustang. All the Politician must Watch this video...

Thank YOU Aljaeera Correspondent.

[antimgrahan1]

200, 000 Bhutanese were beaten and chased out of their country with INdian aid in 1990s and they lived a terrible condition in refugee camps in Nepal. WHere was West then? These refugees are now rehabilitaed in Denmark, AUstralia, USA and Canada and are getting whole- sale Christianised. DIdnt they had one of the oldest preserved culture in the world(Hinduism)? If you move just far west of Mustang to Karnali, USA replaces China on devilism(::P), funds the local people, to make them dependent.

[ashowmega]

If this is the same world that talks about human rights, freedom of practicing religions, languages and living free in a country you were born in case of Tibetans, why does not the same world say anything when more than one hundred thousand Bhutanese (20% of population) were forced to leave their home just because their Dragon King decided that the country is not country of those people who are not Buddhists, do not wear Tibetan dress, and do not speak Dzongkha , a Tibetan dialect.

[nepaliboy89]

Right now there are more than 30 thousand tibetan and more than 120 thousand of butanese refugees living in nepal. We have considered them very friendly so we have let them stay here but we cannot keep on accepting more refugees as our country is already too poor. Our government is very weak and is corrupted not only by China but India too. in overall we don't have anything to say for the tibetan problems we cannot help them. But the mustanges must be helped as they are nepalese.

[108CTAC]

@nepaliboy89 Nepal is truly in a very difficult position right now. As for Tibetan refugees though, they are only asking for safe passage to India where they can re-settle. Nepal has had a "gentleman" agreement with the UNHCR to allow the refugees safe passage through Nepal. They should stick to this agreement. I agree with you about the people of Mustang- they should be helped. They are part of Nepal and should be given the same support as any other Nepali citizen.

[nepaliboy89]

Most of the commenters does'nt know what is going on here in nepal. Nepal is a small landlocked country we don't have air force nor heavy weapons so we cannot oppose the big countries like China and our countries are friendlies too. Nepalese believe in one "china one world policie". But when i went to tibet i saw that even though tibet is a part of china the tibetans are being treated like servants by chinese and that makes me oppose that policy. 

[nepaliboy89]

I am very touched by this video and ashamed of my government the way they are treating peoples living in mustang. Mustang is a part of nepal and the people living there are nepalese but yet they are being ignored. I am not a chinese supporter nor do I oppose it. But truth is that the chinese waged war on tibet and captured it. In that time not only Tibet but countries all over the world were being captured and they are the part of their suzeiran's now. I saw many comments againts china and Nepal

[rangzensoon]

@nepaliboy89 Have you ever look back and realize yourself that what have you done so your country? i was born and raised in NEPAL but i am Tibetan. Even i was born there nepalese government didn't gave us a refugee status (refugee card). I wasnt able to go farther study in india. Whatever, i recently visit back to my second home land nepal. Find out that everythings is wrost now, more and more poor people on the street, more voilence everywhere. You should realize those things now. ??

[nepaliboy89]

@rangzensoon Yes i agree with you my friend but i don't know what are you talking about cause i have more tibetan friends than of my own. Everyone has got their travelling document that black passeport like card and they got that very easily and sorry to say but yes Nepal doesn't gives citizenship even though you are born there and i hate the government of my country. however i don't think that you need a refugee card to go to india cause you are welcomed there.

[tenyang85]

@nepaliboy89 yup u are rite.. we dn't need refugee card to travel in india, bt to study over there, u need legitimate documents to get admission in indian universities, if we have RC, then we will b charged according to the fees that of indian, other wise will b charged according to the international students.

[nepaliboy89]

@rangzensoon And incase of violence this has no connection with china and we are talking about the video above. If you are born in Nepal than you are a nepali even though you have'nt been given the citizenship you are our brother and we will support you for that.

[rinzg]

Wonderful Documentary .. Steve Chao stroy telling is just amazing ... very painful to watch our people suffer and live without any hope and guidance .. hope for peace

[bhumo8888]

Great documentary, Steve Chao did a great job. Absolutely I admire him...

[108CTAC]

Great documentary. What is happening to Nepal and its indigenous Buddhist culture is terrible. And who benefits? The corrupt Nepali government officials (Police, Home Ministery and anyone else willing to take China's bloody money) and the Chinese Government. Thanks Al Jazeera for covering this issue in depth. I hope you will do more!

[kantipurnews]

@108CTAC what the hell is it, nepalese people support one china policy and more buddhist religion is not the medium of politics, we dont support politics in name of buddhist.

[deydron]

@kantipurnews What are you trying to say? "And more Buddhist religion is not the medium of politics." What does this mean? I would like to understand why Nepalis (I am assuming you are Nepali- but maybe not) feel that it is okay for the Chinese government to tell the people of Nepal what to do. Why are you willing to give up your sovereignty at such a cheap price?

[456inthemix]

One must understand how tiny Bhutan is. It is a miracle it exists as a separate state at all while every other kingdom from Ladakh, Mustang, Sikkim to mighty Tibet was be taken over by India Nepal or China. The citizenship law is a matter of cultural and political survival - something none of the other kingdoms could achieve. I understand why Bhutan is so strict about its borders, its ethnicity and its statehood. Everything around Bhutan is a mess.

[tenyang85]

@456inthemix becos bhutan is helped by india,

[mikelzthing]

did no one laugh out loud when the reincarnated lama said that his favorite game on his psp was grand theft auto? ironic?

on a serious note, i admire and appreciate aljazeera for programs like this.

[usmcalltheway8]

Fuck the Chinese Government and the Nepali Maoists!

[phooey108]

Shame on the Chinese government for trying to wipe out the culture of these people.

[phooey108]

Anyone else feel like they've been to this place before...in Uncharted 2?

[romiya07]

@phooey108 ya..i'm nepalese n i hb played uncharted 2..n while watching ds video i ws js thinkin d same.bieng d citizen of ds country i hb nevr been there..i wish to go visit dt place in real rather dn in game haha..after watchin ds video i really hate d politician of my country..most of d tourists in nepal they come to see ds places and its really sad that these places are still undergoing through the poverty..

[FedupwithR]

That poor kid forced to pretend to play a part he never chose and hates. I hope he escapes before he gets too old.

[elephantinpajamas]

I was in Tibet and Nepal 10 years ago. The big construction projects, like building dams in Nepal, were all Chinese. In Lhasa Tibet, Chinese modernity has created a sprawl that blots out the poorer Tibetan buildings. China is conquering through development something akin to the western moral imperative of white man's burden.

[victoryofnanking]

awesome journalism, i don't even know what that means. steve is pure journalist.

[minerva3181]

Unlike millions of his counterparts within China, Steve Chao is one of the few reporters/journalists who can explore and speak the truth without being locked up in jail by the bloodiest government on earth. Keep going Steve, I will follow you wherever you go!

[hellliw]

I am touched!!

[heomak]

hell yea! the nepalese govt is a total sellout..most nepali people are very sympathetic of the tibetan cause but their govt(who is corrupt in the first place) would rather compromise on ethics in order to get a PAYCHECK from the chinese govt. in that regards, the indian govt is way better than the govt of nepal. india may be poorer than china but when it comes to ethics, it's way way ahead & superior to china. money can't buy you respect and class! 

[heomak]

bravo steve chao! great piece on Mustang and the chinese govt's increasing presence & control in Nepal! i wish more chinese around the world(especially those born & bred in CHINA) were like you(open to learning the truth about china's illegal occupation of tibet). i notice many chinese(regardless of social class) would rather believe their fellow-han chinese folks(than tibetan people) on the issue of tibet. it's got to do with the "us(han chinese) vs them(tibetans)" mentality. wake up china!

[heomak]

@khansahb8 that's globalization for you! 

[slovokia]

AJE seems to like the theme of "resistance" - I wonder why.

[DefTheMarxist]

Interesting documentary.

[hanprider]

fuck al jazeera, tibet is china ever since

[minerva3181]

@hanprider "Ever since" when?

If one-sided unproven historical claim stands, the Mongolian can also claim that all of China occupied by their ancestors Kubla Khan and Ghangis Khan during the Yuan Dynasty now belongs to the Mongolian too.

Like you, they can claim China is Mongol's holyland "ever since".

[katoliverpool]

@hanprider the usual reaction from a brain washed population that cant think on its own but directed by an ideology

[1MagyarHarcos2]

@katoliverpool They are not directed by an ideology they are directed by a dictator. The terror rules China. The whole world could see how the Chinese regim killed a thousend Chinese people who demanded freedom and an end of the communist rule. 1989 天安门广场; - Tiananmen Square!

[heomak]

@1MagyarHarcos2 don't just blame their inability to see the tibet issue for what it is on the authoritarian nature of the chinese govt. of course, government propaganda(since birth) is a huge reason for why many chinese think the illegal occupation of tibet is justified but it's also more than just that.the han chinese are super nationalistic(particularly since their economy opened up in the 1980s). they see any outside criticism of their country as a personal attack on all of them.

[heomak]

When a non-han chinese person criticizes china's stand on tibet, most han chinese get super defensive and start talking jibberish to counter that attack. they'd rather not lose "face" especially in regards to the "inferior tibetans"(as most han chinese see tibetans). they are more likely to let their guard down & be more open-minded and sensible when it comes to a fellow-han chinese criticizing their govt on the treatment of tibetans.

[1MagyarHarcos2]

@hanprider No it is not, it was not and Tibet will be free again.

Free Tibet!

[heomak]

@hanprider no, tibet is not a part of china! tibetan and chinese culture are opposites! tibetans have a total different language and culture from the han chinese and also, tibetans do not eat dogs and insects.