When will the mainstream media notice?

Reports have been emerging on blogs about Tibet and mountaineering that Chinese troops have shot dead refugees within site of an international climbing camp.

While it seems fairly clear that at least two people were killed and a number of children marched off by the troops, the mainstream Western media seems to have overlooked it.

Of course, it wouldn’t be helped by the fact that some of the climbing parties were apparently keen to play down the events for fear of being banned from climbing in Tibet.

I first saw it on the Tibet Will Be Free blog, then found more details on International Campaign for Tibet and MountEverest.net.

Now, this sort of thing happens within Tibet with little or no word getting out to the internation community but it’s amazing that the Chinese have the confidence (or ineptitude) to shoot refugees dead in front of a large group of climbers from all around the world.

It’s even more shocking that none of the climbers present seems to have felt able to step forward and protest either during or after the event. Yes, they would have put themselves in danger but with so many people of so many nationalities present and being witness to what happened, the Chinese would have found their options very limited for fear of major international outrage.

Instead, climbers appear to have declined to do or say anything in case it jeopardised their chances of climbing inside Tibet. Since when do mountains matter more than people? The mountains will be there far longer than any of the individuals.

As it is, the failure to speak out at the time or since means that the events have gone unnoticed and unreported by the mainstream press, and therefore unremarked by the world. That is shocking, but not surprising.