Posted on 10/03/2005 6:44:03 PM PDT by TigerLikesRooster
|
|
||||
|
/begin my translation A Series of Top Officials in Tibet Struck down by Altitude Sickness, Returning to Beijing
|
||||
| [Yonhap News 2005-10-03 14:46] | ||||
Yang Chuan-tang, the Party Secretary of Tibet Autonomous District, went into a coma due to heart and brain blood vessel illness, and was shipped back to Beijing in an emergency airlift, according to Oct. 3rd edition of Hong Kong's Ming-bao. Overworked Secretary Yang collapsed in Oct. 1 while preparing for the 40th Anniversary of Tibet Autonomous District's Founding. It was compounded by worsening symptom of altitude sickness endemic to Tibet, causing his condition to deteriorate badly, according to the report. It is not yet clear if he can resume his duty in Tibet. President Hu Jintao has great confidence on him. He was promoted last December from Vice Secretary of Qinghai Province to (Party) Secretary of Tibetan Autonomous District, but his tenure (in Tibet) may be in danger of being cut short. This is not the first time Tibet dealt illness to top officials of Han Chinese origin. In 1988, Wu Jing-hua, then Party Secretary of Tibet had heart ailment as a complication from altitude sickness, and had to receive treatment in Beijing, never to return to his post. President Hu, who was the party secretary of Guizhou Province at the time, had become Wu's successor, and crushed Tibetan resistance movements. However, he also showed the symptom of altitude sickness, and had to return to Beijing for treatment.
|
Ping!
Is it fatal? No: stay there. Yes: ....................................stay there.
I have always understood that altitude sickness is something you can adjust to over time. It seems odd that Chinese officials who have lived in Tibet for months would suddenly come down with it.
Some members of my family were in Ladakh earlier this year for a three-month stay. They all got sick from the altitude for a few days, but then it wore off and they adapted to it.
I wonder if there is some other factor at work here, or if maybe it is a political excuse for pulling them out.
Contagious altitude sickness?
It seems that they are all in their 50's or older. They must have preexisting health problems which were manageable. However, living in high altitude must have exacerbated their problems, to the point that they are seriously ill.
Solution: Lower the mountains! (stupid thin air)
Another possibility: they may have been commuting to their posts everyday from the low lands, thereby missing the "training effect" of living at altitude over time. I know that even for natives, altitude can be a b-otch. That's why Peruvians chew coca leaves. It sure got to a flatlander like me when I went to Nepal.
I'm still having some difficulties discerning the problem in all this. Unless they're resting comfortably - that would be a problem.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.