By Tenzin Choephel
Phayul Correspondent
Kathmandu, April 11 – It has been over six months since the 30th September 2006 Nangpa La Pass shooting where a 17 years old Tibetan nun Kelsang Namtso was killed, 43 Tibetans escaped to Nepal and about 31 people including a bullet wounded man and several children were allegedly arrested by the Chinese Border Police. The fates of these captives were unknown until recently one escaped to India and shed some light on the aftermath of the shooting. In March, another man (probably the second one) escaped from Tibet, came to Nepal and then went to India on 5th April and this time he was not arrested by Chinese Police.
According to Gatsok, a 20 years old man from Tengchen County, Tibet he survived the shooting but was arrested by Chinese Police, there were about 24 people including about 12 children and the bullet wounded man with him when the Chinese Police arrested and took them in a truck to Dingri County and then to the prison in Shigatse City were there were over 200 Tibetans arrested for either trying to escape to India or returning from India, however, unlike other Tibetans arrested for similar reasons and detained for longer periods, they were released and handed over to parents and relatives after about one month by warning them of serious punishment if they try to escape again but without imposing any usual fine probably because of international media coverage and condemnation by various organizations. Gatsok is a sogdzi (herdsman) from Tengchen County and has never been to school, when he first tried to escape to India, his only intention was to seek an audience with His Holiness the Dalai Lama and monastic education but unluckily they he was arrested along with other Tibetans, however, he did not lose heart, his faith was still firm and this time he escaped to India by trying a different method and route. He was among those in the second group, he did not heard gun shot or see the nun who was killed, later Chinese Police brought the boy from Kandze who was shot on leg and he was with them in the same Prison. According to Gatsok, the bullet wounded boy was not taken to hospital but a doctor visited Prison and gave treatment. All of the detainees were taken to Shigatse Prison, the bullet wounded boy was the first one who was released, Chinese Police telephoned parents and relatives and called them, they handed over respective person and then those who dont have anyone were also released gradually. After their arrest, they were taken to Tashijong, while on the way sometimes they had to walk by carrying children who could not walk, then they were taken to Dingri County Prison and detained for four day and interrogated and then taken to Shigatse Prison. The Chinese Police allegedly took 100 Yuan from each detainee by saying that it is transportation charge, we dont know if this is something practiced only in China. In the Shigatse Prison, Gatsok was beaten by kicking and punching for trying to look and talk with fellow prisoners in other cells. He was interrogated about reasons for trying to escape, whether his parents send him or he came by himself and beaten for not responding correctly. He was put to work like weeding grass, harvesting potato along with other fellow prisoners. He was released after his relative came from Lhasa. He went to Lhasa and then traveled in Kongpo Region for a while and his relative arranged another way for his escape. He then came to Dram and paid a guide and came to Kathmandu and then left for India.
Even though there is so much danger in trying to escape to India, Tibetans still escape to India seeking an audience with His Holiness the Dalai Lama, seeking education opportunities in schools and monasteries, seeking better life and most important of all seeking freedom in a free county. Quite a lot of Tibetans from Tibet easily travel to Nepal and India and return to Tibet by making Chinese passport, according to what we know it is not that difficult to make a passport in Tibet if you have good connections or pay under the table but we also often hear that for certain people like farmers or nomads, passport is not issued at all, if the former were true it makes us wonder if it were not possible to make a passport with 3000 Yuan (which one person pays to the guide for escaping on average) and happily travel wherever you want then risking your life over a difficult Himalayan snow pass.
