Were you at Nangpa La? This year - or other years? Have you seen shootings? Let us know.
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Nangpa La update: Call for testimonies
Posted: Oct 17, 2006 12:48 am EDT
"Bravo Sergiu, respect Alex Gavan" says a posting on the Romanian TV channel website running the Nangpa La video. The messages come from all over; in different languages. "Show this picture to all the world!!! This is our duty!" urges a note from Poland. Tibetans in turn use the board to thank the climbers and Pro TV for "heroism and saving the humanity."
The Ghost is Running Wild
Phayul.com news source wrote a few days back:
"[The shooting] stirred a global outcry against such atrocious act from the Chinese soldiers in front of a sizeable international mountaineering audience. How brave? Isn't the Ghost running wild even in the broad daylight? Although it is only one of those uncountable unfortunate incidents that happened to Tibetans since 1959, but this one could make its headway to international news headlines, thanks for those mountaineers who placed humanity, justice and truth before anything else, even their career."
Heart behind the Buddhist flags we fly
Well guys, these are some good scores for the climbing community. Since the story broke, ExWeb's mailbox has been flooded by emails. Some from climbers, reporting other incidents, and many from Tibetans. Here's one:
"Though we feel terribly and shamelessly helpless, your actions have shown and encouraged us to further hang onto our faith in a world where money and power dictates everything. Thank you for your sticking by the truth. I hope the world will one day, sooner rather than later, realize the sheer magnitude of torture and executions that is taking place in Tibet."
The most amazing part in last week’s events, was not that China made a rare official confirmation, or even the international headlines. The most startling thing was a force of a bigger kind; the empowerment of the very sons and daughters of the Himalayan peaks we know so well. On Cho Oyu this fall, we put heart behind the Buddhist flags we bring back home - and the response from Tibet is tremendous.
"Please let the world know what happened"
But they need more. Here goes another mail:
"Dear Team explorerweb.com,
...Some climbers have come forward with accounts of what they saw and spoke to the media and also posted photographs of this tragic shooting and also pictures of the detained children. I applaud them for their courage and for speaking the truth."
"I would strongly urge the climbers’ community to come forward and speak to the media, what actually happened on the morning of September 30th at Nangpa La. Please let the world know what happened, Please speak the truth. With prayers for all and to the brave Tibetans who lost their lives in the mountains.
Thank you
Tsering Ngodup"
Death by fire
Tsering's email brings to mind another man - Thupten Ngodup, who in April 1998 self-immolated as protest against the lack of international attention to the plight of theTibetan people.
The Tibetan Youth Congress (TYC) had organized a "Hunger Strike Unto Death" but was raided by the Delhi police. Not only had their homes been stolen and their families killed - Tibetans were not even allowed to protest - in the free world.
One man opened a plastic container of gasoline, dowsed himself thoroughly, struck a match and charged out to the area before the hunger-strikers tent. He cried "Independence for Tibet," paused and held up both hands together in the position of prayer. He arrived at a hospital with 100% burns, and died shortly after.
The doctors said his nerve endings were intact, and that he must have suffered greatly. Death by fire is long and extremely painful, making it a powerful statement.
The strongest sorrow
Imagine the man's despair: It's one thing to be attacked as Tibet was; it's an entirely different ball game for the assault to take place in front of a world of good people - who don't care. That pain felt even stronger than fire to Thupten Ngodup.
Last week, all that changed for a brief moment. Let's make it last a little longer: Were you at Nangpa La? This year - or other years? Have you seen this or other shootings there? Let us know.
You won't change Chinese politics perhaps; but you can help Tibetans let the world know. And remember, walls come down the way we climb them - rock by rock.
Click for short video made in tribute to Thupten Ngodup
Wikkipedia has a good account of self-immolation. Not very common; the act of self-burning most often occurs in protest of authoritarian governments.
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