Nangpa La shooting incident
Some of the captured survivors with Chinese border guards at the advanced base camp in Cho Oyu.
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| Time | 10:30 AM |
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| Date | September 30, 2006 |
| Location | Nangpa La, Tibet, China |
| Coordinates | 28°6′27.8″N 86°35′17.5″E / 28.107722°N 86.588194°ECoordinates: 28°6′27.8″N 86°35′17.5″E / 28.107722°N 86.588194°E |
| Type | Shooting of civilian by border guard |
| First reporter | MountEverest.net |
| Deaths | 1 (Kelsang Namtso) |
| Non-fatal injuries | A few (unknown number) |
| Arrest(s) | 32 |
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 Romanian photographer Sergiu Matei, who was nearby as part of a climbing expedition. After 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.
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. It 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 were 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.
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