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Nepal lifts ban on Everest summit | |
(about 3 hours later) | |
Nepal has reopened the summit of Mount Everest to climbers on its side after a Chinese team carried the Olympic flame to the world's highest peak. | Nepal has reopened the summit of Mount Everest to climbers on its side after a Chinese team carried the Olympic flame to the world's highest peak. |
Scores of mountaineers at Everest base camp are now resuming their ascent, Nepal's Tourism Ministry told the BBC. | Scores of mountaineers at Everest base camp are now resuming their ascent, Nepal's Tourism Ministry told the BBC. |
Nepal blocked access to the summit in March amid Chinese fears that Tibetan activists might stage a protest. | Nepal blocked access to the summit in March amid Chinese fears that Tibetan activists might stage a protest. |
Demonstrations against Chinese rule in Tibet have followed the torch around the world in recent weeks. | Demonstrations against Chinese rule in Tibet have followed the torch around the world in recent weeks. |
'Set off' | 'Set off' |
"Mountaineers are allowed to move towards the summit from today [Thursday]," Nepal's tourism ministry spokesman Prem Rai told the BBC. | "Mountaineers are allowed to move towards the summit from today [Thursday]," Nepal's tourism ministry spokesman Prem Rai told the BBC. |
We are extremely relieved that the Olympic flame has reached the summit Ang Tsering Sherpa, Nepal Mountaineering Association | |
"There are 29 groups of climbers and each group has nine members and some of them have already set off." | "There are 29 groups of climbers and each group has nine members and some of them have already set off." |
Mr Rai dismissed reports that armed soldiers would remain on Everest throughout the spring climbing season. He said security personnel would leave the area on 10 May. | |
"Liaison officers" will continue to carry out security checks on climbers' baggage, he said. | |
The president of the Nepal Mountaineering Association, Ang Tsering Sherpa, welcomed the lifting of the ban. | |
"We are extremely relieved that the Olympic flame has reached the summit. All of us mountaineers were very worried that we would not have enough time," he told AFP. | |
"We have told all the members of our expedition team of the importance of not protesting at the summit. | |
"Protests may happen because we can't be sure people won't protest out of their own interest," he added. | |
Anger | |
Large-scale Tibetan protests have been held over the past few weeks against Chinese rule as Beijing gets ready to host the Olympics in August. | Large-scale Tibetan protests have been held over the past few weeks against Chinese rule as Beijing gets ready to host the Olympics in August. |
Demonstrators tried to storm the Chinese embassy in Kathmandu | |
Buddhist monks have been demonstrating in and around Lhasa, the Tibetan capital.Tibetans living in exile in Nepal and India have also held weeks of protests. | |
On Thursday, there were more angry scenes outside the Chinese embassy in Kathmandu as demonstrators tried to break through a security cordon. A number were detained. | |
Many Tibetans want independence from China, which has long claimed the mountainous territory as its own. | Many Tibetans want independence from China, which has long claimed the mountainous territory as its own. |
Mount Everest straddles the border between Nepal and China and can be scaled by a northern and a southern route. | Mount Everest straddles the border between Nepal and China and can be scaled by a northern and a southern route. |
The more popular southern route passes through Nepal, while the northern ascent goes through Tibet. | The more popular southern route passes through Nepal, while the northern ascent goes through Tibet. |
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