Mount Everest: Deadly season puts focus on record climbing permits
Getty ImagesJust before reaching the summit of Mount Everest, Australian engineer Jason Kennison told his mum in a FaceTime call that he would see her when he got back.
He was fulfilling a lifelong dream to stand on top of the world and raise funds for his favoured charity, Spinal Cord Injuries Australia.
But that static-filled video call was the last time Gill Kennison would see her son alive. As the 40-year-old descended from the summit, he caught high-altitude sickness and died.
Mr Kennison is among 12 confirmed fatalities from the spring climbing season, one of the deadliest in recent years. It has just concluded but five mountaineers remain missing. The deaths already exceed the 11 lives lost in 2019, when overcrowding on the picturesque yet treacherous terrain was highlighted by a viral photo of one long queue to the summit.
This year’s victims succumbed to the perennial risks of climbing Everest – three Sherpas died in a serac or ice fall, and the others fell ill like Mr Kennison.
But the high number has renewed scrutiny on overcrowding after a record number of climbing permits were issued in Nepal, and deepened concerns about the impacts of climate change on the mountain.
Traffic jams
Locals in Nepal – the most popular jump-off point for climbers – attributed the unprecedented 900 permits to pent-up travel demand from the pandemic.
Having so many people puts pressure on “traffic jams” on the climbing route, Garrett Madison of US-based Madison Mountaineering company told Reuters news agency.
Lines form when mountaineers need to catch a window of favourable weather to reach the summit. They need to avoid jet streams or narrow bands of strong wind in the upper atmosphere. Queues can also be held up by inexperienced and unprepared climbers.
Extremely thin air on peaks higher than 8,000m (26,000 ft) makes it difficult to breathe and climbers often use oxygen canisters to survive, but logjams put pressure on supplies.
High altitudes can cause the body to produce excess fluid and cause swelling in the lungs and brain. This can lead to fatigue, breathlessness, and loss of co-ordination.
Adrian Ballinger of US-based Alpenglow Expeditions, which leads climbers from the China side, said some companies from the Nepal side have been taking climbers to Everest even if they do not have enough experience to navigate the death zone.
Everest expeditions are a major source of income for Nepal, whose government is often criticised by some Western climbers for allowing anyone who can pay the $11,000 (£8,800) fee for a permit to go up. The government denies this.
On top of the permit, each climber spends at least $26,700 on an expedition in Nepal, including on permit fees, gas, food, guides and local travel, according to sherpas.
Yubaraj Khatiwada, director at Nepal’s Department of Tourism, rebuffed criticism of the number of permits awarded. Speaking last month, he said a team of doctors and government officials would be stationed at the Everest base camp for the first time to manage climbing activities throughout the season.
“We are concerned for their safety and are well prepared to cope with the crowd, by spreading summit bids as long as the good weather window provides to ensure the climbing goes smoothly as far as possible,” Mr Khatiwada told AFP.
Lukas Furtenbach, whose Austria-based tour company has brought 100 people to the summit since 2016, stressed the need for readily available oxygen, given the threat of overcrowding. He said his company has measures in place to make sure that their clients never run out of oxygen and that they have recorded zero accidents.
“Proper oxygen logistics are super important if there are many people climbing at the same time. I am convinced that with minimum safety, equipment and logistic standards for all operators, we could avoid many of the deaths that happen today on Everest,” he told the BBC.
Other concerns
While this year has seen no deaths due to avalanches, these events have accounted for roughly 40% of fatalities in recent years, according to The Himalayan Database.
An avalanche in 2014 killed 16 people, in what is considered the worst accident on the mountain in modern history.
Climbers have also had to contend with warmer temperatures, that have melted glaciers and caused lakes to form. Scientists noted that due to climate change, temperatures on the Tibetan Plateau, where Everest is located, have increased by around 2C over 40 years from 1979.
And when the snow melts, glacier ice loses its cover from the sun, causing it to either turn into water that goes down the slopes or vaporise into the air due to strong winds, according to research published in 2022 by the University of Maine’s Climate Change Institute.
Climate effects will “change the experience” of Everest climbs as more bedrock is exposed in place of snow and ice, and icefalls and avalanches become more “dynamic”, the study said. Melting glaciers could also “destabilise” base camp that houses about 1,000 climbers and logistics team during the peak season.
But plans to move the camp have been recently shelved. Last month, Sherpa leaders told the BBC that proposals to shift it were impractical.
The changing terrain has been jarring for guides who have traversed the area for years.
“They’re saying that every time they go back, the mountain looks different. So where there used to be ice last year, there’s water, where there used to be hard snow, now it’s soft snow,” veteran guide Pasang Yanjee Sherpa said in a podcast after the 2022 spring season.
This year saw unusual snowfall that normally occurs during the winter months, Ang Tshering Sherpa, former president of the Nepal Mountaineering Association, told AFP. This heightened the risk of an avalanche since fresh snow is soft, he said.
For Mr Furtenbach, climate change impacts seem “remarkable and never seen before”.
“I assume that for the next five to 10 years, we will slowly start to see if and how the climbing route on Everest will be affected by global warming,” he told the BBC.
Lure of summit remains
The season has also seen dramatic rescues and milestones. Last month, Nepali guide Gelje Sherpa carried a Malaysian climber down from 8,500m above sea level over the course of six hours.
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Separately, Kami Rita Sherpa from Nepal reached the summit for a record 28th time, solidifying his reputation as the world’s “Everest Man”.
And earlier, Hari Budha Magar, a former Gurkha soldier who lives in Britain, summited Everest with prosthetic legs. He is the world’s first double above-the-knee amputee to achieve this feat.
Misfortune and triumph just days apart shows the need for rigorous preparation to conquer Everest and survive in the most hostile conditions, experts say.
“Tragedy, deaths and drama play a vital role why people are drawn by Everest. It is the highest point of this planet, but also one of the most dangerous places on earth. This combination attracts people,” Mr Furtenbach says.
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Support local or buy global: Will Singaporeans embrace local produce despite higher prices?
Farms here are also dealing with rising material and energy costs since Russia invaded Ukraine.
“There were times when the electricity rates were so high that the more we grew, the more the company lost,” said Mr Lee Yuan Hao of GKE Agritech.
PRICE A “BOTTLENECK”
Despite these challenges, local farms and experts CNA spoke to said it is imperative Singapore builds up the capacity to grow its own food.
The country has to be ready as food prices will rise in the long run and supply will be disrupted by climate change, they said.
Price is the “bottleneck” for consumers when it comes to buying local over imported, said Nanyang Technological University’s (NTU) Professor William Chen.
But this may not be the case for long. With global warming and extreme weather events on the rise, the yield of imported vegetables – grown on traditional weather-dependent farms – will decline.
This will lead to price hikes or even a shortage of vegetables that can be imported into Singapore, said Prof Chen, the director of NTU’s food science and technology programme.
“It is important that we show support for our local farms, keep them in the business and make locally produced vegetables as a viable option for our own benefit.”
Farms here may not be able to compete with imports on price, but there are advantages to buying local, Meod’s Mr Ong said.
“In Singapore, we have a more sustainable way of growing our produce. We are mindful of electrical consumption, water consumption, chemical usage, and we are pesticide-free. These are all the standards that local firms are trying to apply to have a differentiated product from imports,” he said.
The other factor is freshness, he said. “Generally we harvest on the same day and deliver within the same day … the produce is of better quality and lasts longer, and it tastes better.”
BANDING TOGETHER
With local farms already struggling with high manpower and energy costs, they would not be able to lower their prices to match those of cheap imports, said Ms Nichol Ng, CEO of FoodXervices, which supplies goods to F&B businesses.
“I continuously see many more farms shutting their doors in the last two, three years. Even those that are surviving, maybe the slightly larger ones or the ones that are well-funded, they are also finding it difficult to maintain the operations,” said Ms Ng, a vocal advocate for local produce.
But she thinks that as sustainability becomes more important for businesses and consumers, they will start to see the value in having food supplies from local sources with a lower carbon footprint.
A few interviewees said one way to boost demand was to have orders from large organisations such as major hotel chains, SATS or the armed forces.
Another way forward is to promote more cooperation among local farm players, said Ms Ng. “When you look at Australia or even in France, for example – they have this co-op mentality … They will band together to ensure that they survive, but in Singapore we have not managed to achieve that yet.”
Some farms like Livfresh are in favour of this.
“I think that’s a missing link today. The way I view it is we’re all in this together competing with imports rather than competing with each other,” said Mr Rajan.
Suspicion over police promotion
The quick rise of a former beauty pageant contestant, who went from a police lance corporal to a police captain in less than two years, has raised suspicion over whether the promotion is evidence of patronage in the police force.
According to a post on the “Phuen Tamruat” Facebook page on Thursday, many civilians, including high-profile individuals and celebrities, become commissioned police officers each year and get promoted to a high rank soon after attending a 17-week training course.
The post said one female civilian-turned-commissioned police officer started as a police lance corporal in late 2021, only to be promoted to sub-lieutenant two months later.
She became a police lieutenant in June last year and then a police captain earlier this month, the post said.
The post urged Move Forward Party spokesman Rangsiman Rome to push for a formal investigation into the alleged patronage in the police and misuse of the training course.
On Thursday, he responded, saying the course in question was initially designed for training civilians who qualify to become commissioned officers. Citing his own observation, he said many have well-known family names.
He said he is now browsing previous years’ lists to gather evidence on alleged bribery and corruption in the unusual recruitment of commissioned officers.
While many low-ranking officers find it difficult to become commissioned officers, these civilians pass the course instantly to become one, he said.
Pol Lt Gen Archayon Kraithong, spokesman for the national police, said the promotion of the female police officer was strictly in line with Royal Thai Police requirements.
Chinese censors take aim at AirDrop and Bluetooth
Getty ImagesChina wants to restrict the use of mobile file-sharing services such as AirDrop and Bluetooth in a move that will expand its censorship machine.
The national internet regulator on Tuesday launched a month-long public consultation on the proposals.
They want service providers to prevent the spread of illegal and “undesirable” information, among other things.
Activists fear that this will further hinder their ability to mobilise people, or share information.
Bluetooth, AirDrop and such file-sharing services are crucial tools in China, where the so-called Great Firewall has resulted in one of the mostly tightly-controlled internet regimes.
In recent years, anti-government protesters have often turned to AirDrop to organise and share their political demands. For instance, some activists were sharing anti-Xi Jinping posters using this tool on the Shanghai subway last October – just as the Chinese president was awaiting a historic third term as the country’s leader.
AirDrop is especially popular among activists because it relies on Bluetooth connections between close-range devices, allowing them to share information with strangers without revealing their personal details or going through a centralised network that can be monitored.
But soon after Mr Xi secured a third term, Apple released a new version of the feature in China, limiting its scope. Now Chinese users of iPhones and other Apple devices are restricted to a 10-minute window when receiving files from people who are not listed as a contact. After 10 minutes, users can only receive files from contacts. Apple did not explain why the update was first introduced in China, but over the years, the tech giant has been criticised for appeasing Beijing.
The latest move, activists say, suppresses the few remaining file-sharing tools at their disposal, although China has defended these regulations in the name of national security and public interest.
Proposals unveiled by the Cyberspace Administration of China on Tuesday require users to “prevent and resist the production, copying and distribution of undesirable information”. Those who do not comply must be reported to the authorities, the draft regulations say.
Users must also register with their real name before they can use these file-sharing services, and the service must be turned off by default.
Read more of our coverage of protests in China:
“The authorities are desperate to plug loopholes on the Internet to silence opposing voices,” says Netherlands-based human rights activist Lin Shengliang, adding that more such regulations could follow.
Mr Lin left China after he was briefly detained in Shenzhen for printing T-shirts carrying a quote from an exiled Chinese businessman and political activist.
“This is China moving towards 1984,” he says, referring to George Orwell’s cautionary tale against totalitarianism.
Phone and app developers who want to continue operating in China will have to play by the new rules – or be culled from app stores, said a software engineer who wanted to stay anonymous.
“Like WeChat, developers will have to provide censorship capabilities and be subject to take-down orders. These new rules could be a show-stopper for non-Chinese applications,” said the man.
The new regulations restrict the very features that activists find useful about file-sharing – such as being able to share content with strangers’ without waiting for them accept the files; or their permission to pair devices.
The regulations include a feature that lets users put specified contacts on a “black list”, which effectively lets them block certain devices from sharing files. There is also a provision for users to register complaints.
Censors already relentlessly scrub photographs, footage and comments online, while maintaining a growing list of banned words. Resourceful activists have been finding new ways to get around this but even those few cracks in the Great Firewall – like AirDrop – are now slowly being plugged.
While users may still be able to bypass such restrictions using virtual private networks or VPNs, activists fear that the number would be too small to make an impact.
Yet Mr Lin believes that China’s recent wave of protests, sparked by zero-Covid measures, mark a new political awakening that will not be put out so easily.
“We will find new ways to speak up,” he said. “If we are bold and we stand together, we will not be silenced.”
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Touting an independent South ‘not allowed’
Army mulls legal action after seminar
Security agencies are considering legal action against a group of activists promoting the separation of the predominantly Muslim southern border provinces from Thailand.
Such consideration follows the launch of a student activists group based in the three southernmost provinces, called Pelajar Bangsa or “a national student movement”, at a seminar at the political science faculty of Prince of Songkla University’s Pattani campus on Wednesday.
According to sources, the group is a reassembly of student activists in the deep South after the disbandment of the Federation of Patani Students and Youth (PerMas) on Nov 8, 2021.
The seminar was held under the topic “Self-Determination and Patani Peace”.
Each participant at the event was given a ballot asking whether people in the southern border provinces should have the right to vote for the separation of the three provinces of Yala, Pattani, Narathiwat and four districts in Songkhla from Thailand.
Speakers at the seminar included Worawit Baru, deputy leader of the Prachachat Party and MP-elect for Pattani, and Hakim Pongtigor, deputy secretary-general of the FAIR Party. The two parties are part of the prospective coalition led by the Move Forward Party, which seeks to form a government.
The ballot picture was later shared on social media, prompting a reaction from netizens and concerned security agencies.
Maj Gen Pramote Prom-in, deputy commander of the 4th Army Region and a member of the government team negotiating peace in the southern region, said that security agencies have been monitoring the movement and activities of those who comprise the new group for quite a while.
“Our legal team is considering whether the group violated the law,” he said while stressing that the country’s territorial integrity must be kept intact.
“We must explain to the public that the group’s action is inappropriate. The deep South is still plagued with security issues. Raising the idea of holding a referendum to seek independence is not allowed,” he said.
Maj Gen Pramote cited Section 1 of the constitution, which defines Thailand as a single, indivisible kingdom.
In response to images of the event’s ballot papers, Narisroj Fuangrabil, a former Thai ambassador to Argentina, wrote on Facebook, “We may soon need a visa to travel to Pattani.”
Arnond Sakworawich, an academic at the National Institute of Development Administration, also said via Facebook: “Is this an act of separatist rebels?
“The constitution stipulates that Thailand is a single, indivisible kingdom. Is holding a referendum to establish a Patani State a separation from the country?”
Pheu Thai goes after accuser from UTN
The Pheu Thai Party (PTP) on Thursday vowed to pursue legal action against Sonthiya Sawasdee, a member of the United Thai Nation (UTN) Party who it said filed a false petition with the Election Commission (EC) accusing Pheu Thai of cheating voters with its 10,000-baht digital handout campaign promise.
During the campaign season, the party promised to give out 10,000 baht in digital handouts to people over 16 years old to boost the economy, a move that has come under criticism from politicians.
Treechada Srithada, deputy Pheu Thai spokeswoman, on Thursday said the EC had already dismissed all petitions asking it to examine whether the policy was aimed at cheating voters.
These included petitions filed by Srisuwan Janya, secretary-general of the Association for the Protection of the Constitution, and Ruangkrai Leekitwattana, a former election candidate of the Palang Pracharath Party, she said.
She said the digital handout policy is now being discussed among Pheu Thai’s potential coalition partners.
She, therefore, accused Mr Sonthiya of deliberately using his petition to discredit Pheu Thai’s handout policy because he did not petition the EC over the campaign promises of other political parties.
The Palang Pracharath Party, which shares a history with the UTN, for instance, failed to raise the daily minimum wage to between 400 and 425 baht as promised in 2019, she said.
This clearly showed Mr Sonthiya deliberately defamed Pheu Thai to mislead the public, a violation under Section 101 of the 2017 organic law on political parties, she said.
“Pheu Thai isn’t going to put up with such an attempt to treat it badly,” she said. “No more apologies. He deserves consequences for what he has done.”
Sonthiya: PTP ‘cheated voters’
Poll results ‘in mid-July’
Recount won’t delay MP endorsement: EC
A vote recount won’t affect the deadline for the Election Commission to endorse the election results in mid-July, according to Deputy Prime Minister Wissanu Krea-ngam on Thursday.
He made the assurance after the EC ordered a recount of votes received by MPs-elect at 47 polling stations across 16 provinces on Sunday when it found that the total number of ballots cast for the candidates did not match the number of people who turned out to vote.
The recount won’t affect the overall election time frame, as the EC has until July 13 to endorse the result of the polls, he said,
Under the current election rules, the EC has 60 days from the date of the election to make the election results official by certifying at least 95% of all MPs-elect.
Similarly, EC chairman Ittiporn Boonpracong said the results are likely to be endorsed well ahead of the mid-July deadline.
The public has been pressing the EC to endorse the results of the election as soon as possible, as the prolonged political uncertainty is hurting investors’ confidence in the country and, thus, the economy.
The coalition partners of the Move Forward Party (MFP), which is expected to lead the formation of the next government as it won the most votes in the May 14 election, are also pushing the EC to endorse the results quickly so they can get on with their political agendas.
According to a source at the EC, votes cast for list-MP candidates at 31 polling stations would be recounted, while votes for candidates in the constituency contest at 16 polling stations would be recounted.
The source said the recounts would be held on Sunday at 47 polling stations in 16 provinces, namely Bangkok, Chon Buri, Chumphon, Trang, Nakhon Nayok, Prachuap Khiri Khan, Phrae, Lop Buri, Samut Sakhon, Saraburi, Sukhothai, Kanchanaburi, Chachoengsao, Phangnga, Phetchaburi, and Nong Khai.
Karoonpon Tieansuwan, an MFP deputy spokesman, said that the party did not think the recounts would have any bearing on the votes the party had received.
“We are confident Move Forward has received the voters’ mandate [to form a government],” he said, adding that the EC must provide a justification if any poll reruns were to be held.
A group of demonstrators on Thursday demanded the EC dismiss all complaints against MFP leader Pita Limjaroenrat and endorse official election results as soon as possible to pave the way for the formation of a new government.
About 50 members of the June 24 Democracy group showed up at the EC’s headquarters at the Government Complex to voice their demands.
Their leader, Somyot Prueksakasemsuk, said the EC should not accept any of the complaints filed in connection with Mr Pita’s shareholding in iTV Plc, saying there would be mass demonstrations otherwise, he said.
The constitution prohibits a shareholder of a media organisation from running as an MP in a general election.
“As the EC has not verified 95% of the MP vote results, the opening of the House is delayed, and parliament cannot convene to elect a prime minister,” Mr Somyot said.
“This allows Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha, the caretaker prime minister and defence minister, to remain in power.”
Attempts to block Mr Pita and the party that received overwhelming voter support from forming a government has resulted in an “ongoing political crisis”, Mr Somyot said.
Rice dept in MFP’s crosshairs
The Move Forward Party (MFP) has launched its own investigation into claims of irregular spending for an event organised by the Department of Rice, saying state officials should be warned that the incoming government will not tolerate corruption in office.
At a press conference on Thursday, Karoonpon Tieansuwan, MFP deputy spokesman, said the party had received a complaint from officials in the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives about the lack of budgeting transparency for an event dubbed “Rice Day and National Farmers”, which was held from June 5-7 at the department’s headquarters.
Mr Karoonpon said the budget request becomes even more suspicious when the event’s entire timeline is considered.
On Feb 20, the department earmarked 15 million baht to stage the event, which is aimed at sharing knowledge and best practices among rice farmers nationwide, at an event hall in Pathum Thani. A few weeks after, the department decided to hold the event at its headquarters, bringing down the budget needed to 7.5 million baht.
However, on May 9, it was decided that the event would be a three-day event instead of two. On the same day, the department revised its budget request to 12.5 million baht — a five-million-baht jump for organising an extra day of activities — a decision that was questioned by the complainants.
Later, the party discovered only one company out of the four invited took part in the bidding for the event. Mr Karoonpon said this company had won many contracts from the Department of Rice. Furthermore, a team of MFP members who visited the event said the number of visitors was far less than the 30,000 the department had claimed would attend the event in the bidding terms of references (TOR) and that many of the event’s participants had been paid to show up at the event.
The party had previously estimated that state-owned agencies had spent over a billion baht to organise events in a year.
“In a MFP-led government, it will not happen. Any improper budget must be cancelled, as they should be used to fund the country’s development and improve the quality of life,” he said.
Meanwhile, department chief, Nattakit Kongthip, said everything followed ministerial regulations and the cabinet resolution.
Justice official dead with bullet wound
The Court of Justice’s deputy chief of the narcotics division was found dead in his house on Wednesday with a bullet wound to his head and a handgun found near his body.
The body of Pramote Thampanichawat, 60, was found by his secretary at his residence in the Chatuchak district of Bangkok.
Pol Col Chisanupong Suriyanon, superintendent of Phahon Yothin Police Station, said a 9mm handgun was found next to Pramote’s right hand. He had a bullet entrance wound to his right temple.
Pol Col Chisanupong said there was no evidence of an assault or a fight at the scene.
He said police are making enquiries over the gun — checking who its registered owner is.
More evidence must be collected before officers can confirm he died by his own hand.
Family members told police that Pramote had been stressed by work and suffered bouts of fainting, but they were reportedly not aware of any other health conditions.
Asean to hold first joint drills
JAKARTA: The Southeast Asian bloc will hold its first-ever joint military exercise in the South China Sea, its chair Indonesia said on Thursday, the latest multilateral security drills at a time of rising tension and uncertainty in the region.
The decision was taken at a meeting of military commanders of the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) in Indonesia, which will host the exercise in the North Natuna Sea, the southernmost waters of the South China Sea.
Indonesia’s military chief, Admiral Yudo Margono, told state-run news agency Antara the exercise would be in September and would not include any combat operations training. The purpose, Adm Margono said, was strengthening “Asean centrality”.
Asean’s unity has for years been tested by China-US rivalry in the South China Sea. Reuters