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Sky Burial: An Eyewitness Account of China's Brutal Crackdown in Tibet
Sky Burial is the remarkable story of a young American man traveling in the Himalayas who inadvertently walked into one of the grimmest - and least-known - scenes of political oppression in the world. Blake Kerr had just graduated from medical school and was fulfilling a lifelong dream by visiting the remote mountain nation of Tibet. Traveling with an old college friend, John Ackerly, he enjoyed the sights and sounds of Lhasa, the "forbidden city" capital of Tibet, and hitch-hiked to Everest, where the two "humped loads" for an American expedition assaulting the mountain's North Ridge.
Upon returning to Lhasa, Kerr and Ackerly swiftly became sensitized to the oppressive character of the Chinese occupying forces and their efforts to eradicate Tibetan culture. Though they knew that Tibet had long been subject to Chinese military rule, their outrage grew as discontent brewed among the Tibetans of Lhasa. Finally, they witnessed a series of demonstrations by Tibetan monks that triggered an explosion of pro-independence protests greater than anything witnessed by foreigners since China entered Tibet in 1949 - protests that were swiftly and brutally quashed by Chinese police and army forces.
Kerr and Ackerly attempted to aid the rebels, but were arrested and endured a brief, harrowing imprisonment. Their efforts to alert the international media met with success, however, and China suffered international embarrassment and condemnation as the story of the crackdown in Lhasa became news in the West. After their forced departure from the country both Kerr and Ackerly became activists committed to ending Tibet's oppression at the hands of China, and Kerr tells the story of his repeated efforts to document the coercive "family-planning" measures instituted by the Chinese in Tibet. This urgent tale has never fully been told. Kerr's account furnishes unprecedented first-hand testimony to the tragic threat of cultural genocide facing Tibet.
Upon returning to Lhasa, Kerr and Ackerly swiftly became sensitized to the oppressive character of the Chinese occupying forces and their efforts to eradicate Tibetan culture. Though they knew that Tibet had long been subject to Chinese military rule, their outrage grew as discontent brewed among the Tibetans of Lhasa. Finally, they witnessed a series of demonstrations by Tibetan monks that triggered an explosion of pro-independence protests greater than anything witnessed by foreigners since China entered Tibet in 1949 - protests that were swiftly and brutally quashed by Chinese police and army forces.
Kerr and Ackerly attempted to aid the rebels, but were arrested and endured a brief, harrowing imprisonment. Their efforts to alert the international media met with success, however, and China suffered international embarrassment and condemnation as the story of the crackdown in Lhasa became news in the West. After their forced departure from the country both Kerr and Ackerly became activists committed to ending Tibet's oppression at the hands of China, and Kerr tells the story of his repeated efforts to document the coercive "family-planning" measures instituted by the Chinese in Tibet. This urgent tale has never fully been told. Kerr's account furnishes unprecedented first-hand testimony to the tragic threat of cultural genocide facing Tibet.
206 pages, Hardcover
First published June 1, 1993
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
June 30, 2018
A readable, accessible starting point to the Tibet/China conflict. The first half of the book is dedicated to climbing Everest and overall more of a travelogue than its title suggests.
March 26, 2015
People for whom human rights are "up there" as among the most important things a person can be "for" will find much to admire in this book. The story is gripping, if not expertly told.
I do want to acknowledge that what China is doing in Tibet is pretty much the same as what Europeans did to North and South America: stripped it of its resources and culture while pushing a foreign population into a majority position in the geographical area. The difference is that the Europeans took 400 years to do what the Chinese have done in 50. Both are stories of brutality and genocide.
Probably any hope for the preservation of Tibetan culture lies in making that happen somewhere outside of Tibet, like India, for example.
I do want to acknowledge that what China is doing in Tibet is pretty much the same as what Europeans did to North and South America: stripped it of its resources and culture while pushing a foreign population into a majority position in the geographical area. The difference is that the Europeans took 400 years to do what the Chinese have done in 50. Both are stories of brutality and genocide.
Probably any hope for the preservation of Tibetan culture lies in making that happen somewhere outside of Tibet, like India, for example.
January 19, 2008
A heart-rending account of China's brutality in Tibet. The worst case of colonial domination and annihilation that I have ever known about. Poor, beautiful Tibet.
April 17, 2008
one person's travels can spark a passion to bring awareness of the truth of another culture's plight back home to Americans
July 18, 2009
i was very interested as we will also visit Tibet on our China trip.
May 31, 2014
Interesting read and still relevant
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews