By Tenzin Choephel
Phayul Correspondent
The Tibetan Women Association and Dotö Organization of Nepal offered prayer service and butter lamps for Tibetan victims of the Nangpa La shooting and particularly for the deceased nun Kelsang Namtso from Driru County of Tibet who was killed by Chinese soldiers while trying to flee Tibet for better education opportunity and seeking an audience with His Holiness the Dalai Lama. A prayer service was performed at Samtenling Monastery and butter lamps and candle lights were offered around the circumambulation of holy Boudanath Stupa in the evening.
In accordance with outcry of Tibetans from all over the world, these organizations in Nepal also offered these services for the victims. According to the chairman of the Dotö
Organization of Nepal, “we could only offer these prayer services because we have to live in Nepal and obey local regulation”. Tibetans in Nepal are not allowed to hold any kind of demonstration or protest or anti-China activities on Nepal soil by the Nepali Government and Tibetans in Nepal humbly follow the regulation and no one dares to organize even peaceful form of protest against China.
On 30th September, 77 Tibetan tried to flee Tibet by crossing the Nangpa La Pass between Nepal and Tibet, just before crossing the Pass/Border, Chinese border patrol soldiers saw them and fired at them, in the firing, Kelsang Namtso, a 17 year old nun was shot dead and another was injured, 43 crossed the border and escaped to Nepal and the remaining 33 were arrested by Chinese soldiers; 41 Tibetan refugees including 2 guides arrived safely at the Tibetan Refugee Transit Center in Kathmandu on 9th October and they left for India on 20th October.
According to 16 year old girl from the same village as the deceased nun, “I called home after arriving in Nepal and told my parents about the deceased nun but told them not to tell the parents of the nun about the tragic incident”. As far as we know the family of the deceased nun still doesn’t know about the tragic loss of their daughter.
