Every year hundreds of Tibetan refugees attempt the hazardous journey across the Himalayan mountains to escape from Chinese-occupied Tibet. In October 1997,five more Tibetan children died attempting to escape. Their bodies had to be left in the snow with their heads facing toward their ultimate goal: India and the Dalai Lama.
Lobsang Nyendak, 22 years old arrived in Kathmandu in October 1997. Lobsang, from Dhargyal monastery, Deiyada village, Kardze county in Kardze “Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture”, was part of a group which included the five children. He fled Tibet together with approximately 20 people from a various regions in Tibet.
They began their difficult journey on 30 October 1997 in Lhasa from where they travelled by truck for two days up to Lhatse. From there they proceeded for eight days by foot until they reached a palce called Sha-Go-La.
“We took 10 days to reach Sha-Go-La”, remembers Lobsang. “When we reached the foot of the Sha-Go-La pass, near to Nam Che and the Tibet-Nepal border, the snowstorm began.” As it was already dusk the group stopped for the night at Sha-Go-La and continued for the next morning.
“There were seven children in the group; the oldest one a 16 year old boy and the youngest just three years old. During the first night we lost all of food in the snowstorm; everyone’s food was buried in the snow. We were walking through snow that covered us up to the chest”, says Lobsang who is about 5.7 feet tall. “After walking for two days the children began to faint and were struggling hard to walk without food.”
“Three of the youngest children -13 year old Shelo Dolma; 10 year old Karlo and 12 year old Phurdon died 30 minutes apart on the morning of the third day . we had to their dead bodies in the snow. Their heads were facing towards India, towards His Holiness the Dalai Lama.” Shelo and Karlo were both from Lhasa and Phurdon was from Phenpo.
Lobsang says, “During the heavy snow storm the weather was so cold that moustache was completely frozen with ice. We slept at night beneath rock to try escape from the wild wind and snow. The ground was covered with layers of snow and although we tried clearing it, it was impossible with the icy winds.”
“The following night, at 1a.m., 11 year old Dolma Choetso died of cold and hunger. Her dead body had to be left on the snow like other three. She was from The-Hor.”
Most of the survivors in Lobsang’s group suffered severe frost bite. “The Chinese authorities have further impeded the flight of Tibetan refugees by increasing border surveillance which forces escpae through higher, more dangerous terrain, says Lobsang. “This inevitably results more deaths and injuries during perilous flight.”
“We had no food for five days when our guide told us that we would have travel for another eight days. It took three days to cover a distance that we normally take only one hour. Later we reached the house of a nomad and that was the first day since we had left that we had seen a fire. We could then warm a little but many of our group were already crippled by frost bite, including our guide. “It took eight days to reach Namoche. Namoche Gyasa Reception Centre is close to the Namoche airport in Nepal. We were only one day’s walk from Gyasa Reception Centre when 16 year old Sonam Tashi died. His nerves had become stiff and hard due to severe cold and he was terribly weak from lack of food. Sonam was fro Gyaltse Theku.”
“I helped carry some of the children on my back since I was the only one who was still reasonably healthy. I had put tsampa (roasted barley flour) into my shoes; this had taken it out in small bits to eat.”
“At Namoche we met two westerners who carried the two girls with them. I begged the westerners for money and they were able to give 2,700 Nepalese rupees. We went together to the Reception Centre and on the way I had to lead the group by clearing away the snow. From there our guide left us our own.”
Of the 16 people in our group who survived the crossing, five had to have their feet amputated and 13 suffered severe frost bite. One of those suffering from frost bite was a woman. The refugees who had to have feet amputated are now undergoing treatment in a hospital in Nepal while the others are being treated in the Reception Centre in Kathmandu. Only three of us were not affected at all: the three year old child, a girl child and myself.”