Regime Watch: Beijing

From MountEverest.net:

Alberto Peruffo, of the global campaign Sad Smoky Mountains, announced Sunday 11th May, at 13 local time as the first simultaneous ignition of red smokes as a protest action against the violation of human rights and Chinese repression in Tibet.

More than 100 summits are now involved: during the last few days the Sad Smoky Mountains project was joined by summits such as North Table Mountain (Colorado, USA), Rittner Horn on Süd Tirol Alps, Corno Grande, Corno Piccolo and Pizzo Cefalone on Gran Sasso (Apeninnes), Nanos on Dinaric Alps (Slovenia), Mount Giovo and Rondiniano (Modena Apeninnes), Puy de Manse (France) and also historically important summits such as Col Moschin and Summano (near Vicenza and Asiago) where a large number of soldiers died during World War I.

This comes only days after Beijing (and its toadies in Nepal) used the Olympics as an excuse to turn Mount Everest into a high-altitude police state.

While I’m pretty sure the very cool picture shown above is a photoshop job (since the Sad Smokey Mountains website posted it prior to the protest date) created for visual impact …..there are actual pics of climbers popping smoke in protest here.

It is being reported that a Chinese mountaineering team carrying a symbolic Olympic torch has summited Mount Everest.

Prior to the ascent, the government of Nepal announced that protesters would be shot:

Nepal has given its security personnel permission to shoot pro-Tibet demonstrators during China’s Olympic flame climb to Mount Everest’s summit early next month.

“About 25 soldiers and policemen have established camps on the mountain and they have been ordered to use force if necessary to stop any anti-Chinese activities,” Mod Raj Dotel, spokesman for the home ministry, said Sunday. “This could mean shooting if necessary.”

Security personnel will also check mountain climbers for non-essential expedition materials, Dotel added.

“If anyone is found with anti-Chinese material their permit will be canceled and returned from the mountain,” he said.

So in keeping with the international spirit of the games, Chinese communists and their toadies in Nepal have turned Everest into a high altitude police state.

Update: some reaction to the Olympic torch atop Everest from climbers.

From newclimber.com

in climbing news today, china torches mount everest to distract the world from beijing’s oppressive occupation of tibet.

From MountEverest.net

“The moment I saw the torch lit on top of Mount Everest I felt very hurt,” a Tibetan told Reuters and his feelings were shared by many around the world.

More from MountEverest.net

After 50 years of occupation, characterized by systematic and gross abuse of human rights, the Chinese propaganda fire is burning hot on top of Tibet’s sacred Mother Earth.