The Tibetan uprising in early 2008 is all but forgotten in the media. Unfortunately, the situation for Tibetans has barely improved since the brutal Chinese crackdown. So, there is still a flow of Tibetan refugees over the dangerous Himalayan mountain passes.
Refugees do not merely risk their lives by crossing these dangerous high-altitude passes without proper clothing, equipment, or even decent shoes. Even high in the mountains, they are easy targets in the snow for eager Chinese soldiers, who don't hesitate to shoot and kill them. When they manage to reach the Nepalese border, one would expect the worse of their horrors to be over, but lately Nepal behaves more and more like an outpost for China. Tibetan refugees are hunted down and - when not killed - are handed back to the Chinese authorities. What happens after this handover in China is anyone's guess; many of the refugees are never heard of again...
The International Campaign for Tibet published this report:
'Dangerous Crossing: Conditions Impacting the Flight of Tibetan Refugees, 2007-8
But also for Tibetans living in Nepal things are worsening. The Nepalese government is so eager to please their big Northern neighbour, that they seem to have decided that pestering Tibetans is a good way to obtain more help from China - how low can you get?
The International Campaign for Tibet wrote this report on the situation:
'An uncertain welcome: how China's influence impacts Tibetans in Nepal,' July 27, 2009
Apparently shouting "Free Tibet" in Kathmandu lands you in jail these days... See this
report.
Love & clear light,
Rudy
