Escape From Tibet
©1995 Manuel Bauer / Lookat
After years of Chinese occupation, the country of Tibet still suffers the consequences. Tibetan culture is disappearing and thousands of Tibetans are still subjected to humility, discrimination and even torture. Those who try to resist, often face the death penalty. More unfortunate in the long-run, is the fact that since 1959, the year the Dalai Lama fled to India, drawing over 80,000 Tibetans with him, the flow of refugees from Tibet has not receeded.
The Dalai Lama's wishes are for them to remain in Tibet, since the more people leave, the weaker the less chance there is of ever seeing again, a free Tibet. Those who decide to leave the country, face an almost impossible task of crossing the Himalayas with many accounts of those perishing in the process.
Manuel Bauer was the 1st ever recorded photographer to brave this journey, accompanying a father and his daughter from Lhasa to Dharasalam in India. The journey to freedom, took 22 days in all with accounts frost-bite and malnutrition.
Initially published by 'du' magazine Switzerland, the story ranks among the best feature stories of our time. This story earned Bauer 'Picture of the Year' in the USA, Italy’s top reportage prize Yann Geoffroy, as well as being congratulated by the judges of the World Press 1996.
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