Nepal deports climber, draws attention to Tibet

With the new Maoist rule in Nepal, it’s no surprise that the country is now all about kissing China’s butt. And kicking a climber out of Everest’s base camp for having a “Free Tibet” patch in his possession is the ultimate brown-nosing gesture right now.

The ironic thing is…and I’m pretty sure it’s ironic…no wait, maybe it’s poetic justice. Anyway, the funny, ironic, poetic-justice-y aspect of this whole situation is that by escorting this Tibet-supporting climber out of the country, Nepal has created news that millions of people will read. People all over the world now have yet another media impression lodged in their brain about the injustices in Tibet, and China’s blockheaded position on the situation.

Just think, if Nepal’s tourism board had simply left that Tibet-sympathizing climber shuffling around in base camp, only a couple hundred other climbers and trekkers would have seen this guy’s patch.

Now the whole world knows.

— Shannon Davis

Nepal deports US climber over Tibet flag row (Times of India)