NangPa La * SHOOTING an Eye Witness Account - Chinese soldiers Shooting & Killing Tibetan refugees

Kathmandu, October 10 - A group of 41 Tibetan refugees including 2 guides arrived safely at the Tibetan Refugee Transit Center in Kathmandu, Nepal yesterday evening from Katari after escaping shootings by Chinese Border Security soldiers on the morning of 30th September 2006. According to an eye witness of the group, Kelsang Namtso, a 17 years old nun from Driru County of Tibet was shot dead just before the Nangpa La Pass, Kunsang Namgyal, a 20 year old boy from Kandze was hit by bullets on his leg, he could not escape and along with him 30 other Tibetans including 14 minor boys were arrested by Soldiers wearing camouflage dress and fur cap and they would be probably taken to Dringri County Town and detained. There were total 75 Tibetans including two guides who were trying to escape from Tibet via the Nangpa La Pass, Tibet-Nepal border.

After escaping the shooting, the group scrambled across the Nangpa La Pass. A total of 41 Tibetan Refugees and two guides escaped safely into Nepal territory. They walked for 9 days via Solukhumbu District and reached road head at Katari Town in east Nepal, took a morning bus and reached TRTC, Kathmandu at around 6:00 PM yesterday. All the 41 people are young from age 7-30 including children, monks, nuns and adults and seeking education in Tibetan schools or monasteries in India, as they either don't get opportunity to go to school or could not bear religious repression in Tibet. A majority of them are from Driru County of Nagchu Prefecture in Tibet and the rest were from Tengchen County, Nagchu Town, Dranag County, Pasho County, Riwoche County, Sog Dzong County, Gyamda County, Dartsedo Town, Drakyab County and Kandze Town. The Nepali Authorities allowed them to travel safely from Nangpa La border to TRTC in Kathmandu without any major hindrance. The Guides refused to comment anything on the matter citing security reasons.

According to an eye witness, a monk from Gyamda County, "75 of us came together from Lhasa in a truck, drove for two days and reached a place from where we walked for about 20 days, when we reached near the Nangpa La Pass, we started walking early morning, we begged food from mountaineers and were eating when the soldiers arrived, they started shooting and we ran, it was around 8 AM (China time), there were 15 small children aged 8-10, only one escaped and rest were arrested, I just ran to save my life by praying to His Holiness the Dalai Lama, I think the soldiers fired for about 15 minutes, there were five soldiers, three were chasing us and two were holding those who were arrested, the soldiers were shouting, probably warning us but I did not hear them as I was terrified, I just heard gun shots passing my ears, I was so sad that many got arrested, I paid 4500 Yuan for guide, I don't exactly remember how many people were shot as we panicked, first 36 people escaped the gun shooting spree, and the rest came later, maybe they were hiding and came later, the Pass was about two hours and the snow on the Pass was knee deep, the nun was with us and she was shot and a boy from Kandze was shot on leg, we were the first group who were shot and there were people behind us who might be arrested, we don't know because we crossed the Pass and reached Nepali territory, I saw that western mountaineers took pictures, I am sure they would have pictures, there were two men and a woman. Two of us were from Kongpo and I don't know about rest, they were many from Driru County".

According to another eyewitness from Riwoche County, "I saw the nun who was shot, she was shot on back by a single bullet, another boy was shot twice on leg, I was also shot but luckily the bullet only caught my pant. I tried to run but I could not run fast so some of us hide in the snow from 8 am to about 3 pm and then escaped, we were just about half an hour from the border when the incident happened. I saw the nun but I don't know what happened to her body. I was in the middle of the group, most of the people ran as fast as they could, when soldiers came, children could not run and were arrested, there were adults too".

People from Tibet usually escape in winter because it is easier for them to adapt to Indian weather and also probably due to severe weather condition on the Nangpa La Pass that makes it difficult for soldiers to patrol the border area. All these newly arrived Tibetan refugees would go to India soon with the help of UNHCR to seek an audience with His Holiness the Dalai Lama and then proceed to Tibetan schools and monasteries.

By Tenzin Choephel
Phayul Correspondent
http://www.phayul.com/news/article.aspx?id=14211&article=Nangpa+La+Shooti...

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[ApocalypticDevotee]

Fuck the commies. And the rich mountaneers!

[partywithJdub]

Let me get my ak-47, ar-15, and a Barrett 50. Cal and let's see how those soldiers like me.

[edeltm]

free Tibet.

Wish/ desire, with countless others, long life to his Holiness the Dalai Lama and and that all His aspirations be fulfilled perfectly without delay.

[edeltm]

His Holiness is one of the greatest human alive in this earth. Only few leaders thinks about others. (on the age of 75), His Holiness is striving tireless for Tibet, people and culture of Tibet and in addition to being the leader of the Tibetan nation, His Holiness the Dalai Lama iS a tireless advocate for peace and one of the most respected and loved global leaders of all time. We are so afortuneded.

[edeltm]

3 ... of action, either through the training of the mind and prayers or specific actions be "standing front of equality, freedom of expression , human rights (words in all our mouths) that's basis is - respect every any life and culture! Chinas politic is a big shame! Any continuation of a political system against life and human rights, simply and as a minimum, should be questioned by all of us that use "words" like respect front life, equality liberty, freedom! (- 4)

[edeltm]

2-under the totalitarian system of China (up now one day Tibetan language is not allowed more-?! ; and, just check the atrocious, G....; ). I'm so sad! Continued pressure from China and without limit, disregarding life, everything and everybody (simple thing- remember - Google etc), points also our -world politics-submission to economic values above human rights and values and our lack (.. 3)

[edeltm]

1-Chinas repressive and violent policy already caused the death of hundreds of thousands of Tibetans. All these long years of rapists, murderers, exploration ..

have brought untold suffering and destruction to the people and culture of Tibet. Have you ever seen a country that supports with so much patience, dignity,. such pressure which Tibetans are suffering more than a century …, (go on 2)