(TibetanReview.net, Nov 26) — China’s border police have significantly beefed up their strength presence at the base of Mount Everest, including with the upgrading of a police post to a full police station, reported AP news service Nov 25, citing a Tibet Daily web site report Nov 25. The new station is a modern 19,375-square-foot (1,800-square-meter) facility manned by more than 20 border police. The report said the station had opened recently but gave no exact date.
Although rising number of visitors and the resultant increase in thefts and other crimes have been cited as the reason for the strengthening of the police force in the area, the move could clearly been seen as being designed to better prevent the flow of Tibetans escaping their occupied homeland.
In Oct 2006, Chinese border guards were filmed by Western hikers in the area firing at and killing at least one Tibetan making the perilous crossing.