Murder in the High Himalaya

Dear Mike,

On September 30, 2006, Chinese border police opened fire on a group of Tibetans attempting to escape into Nepal through the Nangpa Pass. 17-year old Kelsang Namtso, a Tibetan nun, was shot dead and her body was left for days in the snow.

This horrific attack - captured by a cameraman at the nearby Cho Oyu advance base camp - made international headlines and prompted a global outcry from governments and human rights groups. Though shootings of unarmed Tibetans occur every year at the border, this was the first time Chinese forces were caught in the act. Tibetans and supporters around the world mobilized protests and vigils and SFT launched the China Would You Shoot Me Too campaign to shame the Chinese government and to help secure the release of the 30 Tibetans detained at Nangpa La.

Murder in the High Himalaya: Loyalty, Tragedy, and Escape from Tibet, a new book just released in the U.S. yesterday, and soon to be released in the United Kingdom by investigative journalist Jonathan Green, provides a shocking and revealing account of the Nangpa La shooting.

Green provides the reader with an in-depth look at the controversy that erupted amongst the mountaineers who witnessed the shootings, exposing the shameful self interest that drives many in the climbing community. He also gets a rare and revealing interview with a member of the People's Armed Police unit responsible for border security.

Read more from the publishers: http://www.studentsforafreetibet.org/article.php?id=2219

The footage of the Nangpa La shooting offers a rare glimpse into the extreme violence that underpins China's totalitarian rule in Tibet. Jonathan Green's captivating book fills in the missing details about the Tibetans trying to escape this violence, the Chinese trying to stop them at any cost, and the westerners left to watch and choose between taking action or remaining silent.

Please help us spread the word about this important book so that we can ensure the tragic events of 2006 are not forgotten.

To purchase the book and learn more about the author, please visit: http://www.jonathangreenonline.com/book.shtml

In solidarity,

Tendor, Kate, Tendolkar, Schuyler, Mary-Kate and all of us here at SFT HQ