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Nepal rejects claims that recent deaths on Mount Everest resulted from overcrowding or government negligence, a government spokesman tells Axios.

Why it matters: Nepali authorities are under pressure to limit the number of permits issued for mountaineers to climb the 29,028 foot peak after the 11 recent deaths, 9 of which came on the Nepali side of Everest. Nepal doesn’t place strict limitations on who can attempt the climb.

A record 381 permits were issued this season during a narrow window of improved weather. With support teams, there were upwards of 600 total climbers, per the BBC.

The New York Times described “a crowded, unruly scene reminiscent of Lord of the Flies” near the summit, and reported that climbers were left exposed to the elements for extended periods due to overcrowding.

This has been the 4th deadliest climbing season on record. The deadliest came in 2015 when a massive earthquake triggered an avalanche.

Nepali Minister for Information and Communication Gokul Prasad Baskota tells Axios that climbing Everest is “a life threatening adventure” and the government should not be blamed for accidents that occur in such an unpredictable environment.

 Baskota said the government would work to improve weather forecasts and look into other possible precautions, but said climbers and tour guides should ensure their own fitness and training.

The bottom line: Nepal is home to 8 of the world’s 10 highest peaks and mountaineering is vital to the country's tourism industry, with $5 million flowing directly to the government last year, and many other sectors benefiting. 

Climbers eyeing Everest pay around $45,000 to expedition companies on average, and some pay much more. Around $11,000 goes to the Nepali government for permits.

With all that money involved, there is stiff competition to bring clients to the top of the world. Now, calls for stiffer regulations are growing louder.

Nepali government rejects blame for Everest deaths

Climbers should ensure their own fitness and training, minister tells Axios

Mountaineers on Everest in 2009. Photo: STR/AFP/Getty Images

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Nepal rejects claims that recent deaths on Mount Everest resulted from overcrowding or government negligence, a government spokesman tells Axios.Why it matters: Nepali authorities are under pressure to limit the number of permits issued for mountaineers to climb the 29,028 foot peak after the 11 recent deaths, 9 of which came on the Nepali side of Everest. Nepal doesn’t place strict limitations on who can attempt the climb.

Pakistani authorities have arrested more than two dozen Chinese nationals involved in allegedly selling Pakistani women into forced marriages in China.

Why it matters: Human rights groups have documented numerous cases of women sold to Chinese men struggling to find wives due in part to the gender imbalance in the country. 

A report by the U.S. State Department says such women have been deceived, forced into unwanted pregnancies, confined for forced concubinism and subjected to prostitution. Pakistani authorities say a crackdown over the past two weeks has exposed an organized crime network involved in trafficking such women.

The latest: Around 30 Chinese nationals allegedly seeking or helping to sell brides have been arrested in raids in multiple Pakistani cities, according to law enforcement officials. Local agents accused of luring poor families into marrying their daughters to Chinese men have also been arrested.

The raids followed cries for help from several Pakistani women in China. Approximately 20 women were rescued, and some have since described brutal physical and sexual abuse, and even fears their organs could be sold.

A court released two Chinese nationals married to Pakistani women after their spouses testified they had willingly married the men.

China’s embassy in Pakistan released a statement saying China supports the Pakistani crackdown if laws are being broken, but also said Chinese investigations had found “no forced prostitution or sale of human organs” for Pakistani women living in China.

China has sent a task force to coordinate with Pakistani authorities and "jointly safeguard China-Pakistan friendly relations." Pakistan is an ally of China, and a number of Chinese workers live there.

China has also withheld visas for 90 Pakistani women who were to travel to China with their spouses. 

The big picture: There are documented cases of women being trafficked to China from Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, North Korea and Pakistan, says Heather Barr, acting co-director of the Women's Rights Division at Human Rights Watch.

The “pull factor,” Barr says, is the gender disparity in China, which was exacerbated by the one child policy because many parents wanted their only child to be a son. There are 30 to 40 million more men than women in China, and projections suggest that by 2030, more than 1-in-4 Chinese men in their late 30s won't be married.

The “push factor” is conflict and desperate conditions in countries like Myanmar which leave women vulnerable to trafficking.

The bottom line: The State Department’s anti-human trafficking watchdog has stated that Beijing has not met its minimum standards for the prevention of human trafficking.

Pakistani "brides" are allegedly being sold to Chinese husbands

Raids on multiple Pakistani cities reveal a trafficking ring

Chinese nationals arrested in Lahore, Pakistan for allegedly selling women into fake marriages and then forcing them into prostitution. Photo: Ali Murtaza/AFP/Getty Images

Human trafficking

Pakistani authorities have arrested more than two dozen Chinese nationals involved in allegedly selling Pakistani women into forced marriages in China.Why it matters: Human rights groups have documented numerous cases of women sold to Chinese men struggling to find wives due in part to the gender imbalance in the country.

China is becoming the most formidable rival America has faced, and the risk of confrontation with Russia, North Korea or Iran still looms. Authoritarians are rising, the chaotic Afghanistan exit revealed the limits of U.S. power, and the pandemic, climate change and other critical challenges continue to pose grave threats.

Axios World

The Trump administration says Nepal is “central” to its strategy in the Indo-Pacific, but the small South Asian country is already home to a battle for influence between its giant neighbors: China and India.

Why it matters: Nepal is a signatory to Beijing’s Belt and Road initiative, and the government sees a railway deal with China as a “game changer” for the country, Foreign Minister Pradeep Gyawali tells Axios. The U.S. is also flexing its muscles, though, while India is desperate to keep Nepal in its sphere of influence. Gyawali says investment from the big powers is welcome, but Nepal won’t take sides in their great power contest.

India remains Nepal’s largest trading partner and maintains close cultural and economic ties.

However, relations deteriorated rapidly following an unofficial border blockade in the aftermath of a devastating earthquake in Nepal in 2015.

Nepal has a longstanding military relationship with India, and has conducted joint exercises with Delhi, the U.S. and U.K. In 2017, however, Nepal conducted its first joint exercises with China.

China offers Nepal an attractive alternative to Indian domination. It's Nepal's largest source of foreign direct investment and has rapidly spread its tentacles in South Asia. China is now the largest trading partner of Bangladesh, Maldives and Pakistan. 

A protocol signed at the recent Belt and Road summit in Beijing, which Nepal’s president attended, allows Nepal to access 7 Chinese ports, ending dependence on India for third-country trade. 

Even more significant is a railway project which would connect China to Kathmandu, and eventually to Nepal's border with India. The multi-billion dollar project would pass through some of the world’s most difficult mountainous topography.

China's Belt and Road investments could boost Nepal’s trade by 35% to 45%, according to one estimate.

The U.S. also granted Nepal $500 million for infrastructure development, in 2017.

Meanwhile, U.S. diplomats have cautioned Nepal that Chinese investment could lead to unsustainable debts — sparking a public rebuke from Beijing.

The attention from the U.S. provides an opportunity for Kathmandu to look beyond Delhi and Beijing. However, it also puts the impoverished Himalayan nation in the awkward situation of having to strike a balance with rival powers. 

The big picture: “Nepal has geographical limitations. It can’t antagonize India and it can’t abandon China,” says Sridhar Khatri, former executive director of the South Asia Center for Policy Studies.

“When you have two strong and growing economic powers as neighbors, even leakages can benefit. Soon, India-China annual trade will hit the $100 billion target. There is a massive opportunity for Nepal.”

But, but, but: Khatri says the India-China rivalry, and the greater U.S. attention, has made for “a complicated quadrangle relationship” for a country which lacks a “clear foreign policy” and where policies can be “whimsical and personality driven.”

What to watch: The benefits of the planned infrastructure projects are far off, and many Nepalis are skeptical they’ll ever match what’s being promised. Meanwhile, there’s some bemusement that great powers seem to be putting so much emphasis on Nepal.

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s statement declaring Nepal “central” to U.S. strategy also noted that he and Gyawali had discussed "global issues, including North Korea." Some Nepalis wondered what a small country 2,500 miles from Pyongyang could be expected to do.

Nepal has a front-row seat to the great power competition in Asia

Nepal won't pick sides, foreign minister tells Axios.

The Trump administration says Nepal is “central” to its strategy in the Indo-Pacific, but the small South Asian country is already home to a battle for influence between its giant neighbors: China and India.Why it matters: Nepal is a signatory to Beijing’s Belt and Road initiative, and the government sees a railway deal with China as a “game changer” for the country, Foreign Minister Pradeep Gyawali tells Axios. The U.S. is also flexing its muscles, though, while India is desperate to keep Nepal in its sphere of influence. Gyawali says investment from the big powers is welcome, but Nepal won’t take sides in their great power contest.

The last phase of voting in India’s staggered elections will take place on Sunday, bringing an end to a festive and fiery six-week process to determine who will lead the world’s largest democracy for the next five years. 

What to watch: Polling has already taken place for 483 of the 543 parliamentary seats up for grabs in the massive elections, which feature 900 million eligible voters and 1 million polling stations. The results will be announced on May 23.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is seeking a second term in office and a parliamentary majority for his Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its allies. 

Modi has run a nationalistic campaign, and aimed to make the election a referendum on his leadership. He remains popular despite high unemployment and struggles in rural India.

The rival Congress party has accused Modi of stoking divisions and ignoring attacks on India’s minority Muslim population. 

Jobs, health care and security have been the central themes of the election. Both parties have also promised generous welfare programs.

Officials have estimated turnout to be around 67%, similar to what was seen in 2014 and close to the highest levels since independence.

Women are said to be voting in record numbers and could even make up the majority of the electorate for the first time. The leading parties have tried to court them by promising to reserve government jobs for women, among other policies.

However, less than 9% of the candidates are women. India has far less female representation than other countries in South Asia (women make up just 11% of the current parliament) and that’s unlikely to change this cycle.

Suspected criminals, meanwhile, are vastly overrepresented.

The Association for Democratic Reform, a New Delhi based think tank, analyzed nearly 8,000 candidates and found that 1-in-5 five was facing a criminal case. Over 1,000 of them face serious charges such as rape, murder, attempted murder or kidnapping. 

The election has been the costliest in Indian history, with candidates and parties spending around $7 billion, according to Milan Vaishnav of the Carnegie Endowment.

“Black money” is a particular problem. India’s election commission has seized $490 million worth of cash, drugs, alcohol and gold that were to be distributed to voters.

What's next: The BJP is expected to be the largest party, but will have to attempt to cobble together a coalition if it fails to match its landslide victory in 2014. There are a number of small and regional parties contesting the election, complicating the electoral math.

India's elections approach the finish line

Women are said to be voting in record numbers

Waiting to vote in Delhi. Photo: Cheena Kapoor/NurPhoto via Getty Images

India

The last phase of voting in India’s staggered elections will take place on Sunday, bringing an end to a festive and fiery six-week process to determine who will lead the world’s largest democracy for the next five years. What to watch: Polling has already taken place for 483 of the 543 parliamentary seats up for grabs in the massive elections, which feature 900 million eligible voters and 1 million polling stations. The results will be announced on May 23.

Hundreds of thousands of migrant workers hoping to escape poverty and provide for their families depart South Asia every year for the Gulf region. 

The reality: Promises tend to evaporate when they arrive in the Middle East. Many find themselves working in exploitative and dangerous conditions — and unable to return home.

Hemraj Damai, 33, is a typical case. He moved to Qatar in 2018 after paying a recruitment agent around $900 — 10 times the fee stipulated by the Nepali government. A low caste Dalit from the plains of southern Nepal, he was promised a cleaning job in Doha with a monthly wage of $324.

This was Damai's second trip to the Gulf. He had previously spent two years working on a sheep farm in Kuwait.

When he arrived, he was asked to drill tunnels and paint buildings in extreme heat for just half the promised salary. 

He was allowed to change jobs when he complained, but for even lower hourly pay. He worked 16-18 hours every day to send $200 per month to his family. 

"I could only sleep three to four hours every night,” Damai told Axios from his village in Nepal. "Sometimes the room we lived in had leakages from the toilet. Once I earned back the money that I had paid to the broker, I decided to return home."

The big picture: Remittances are a lifeline for low and middle income countries like Nepal. Of the $689 billion disbursed worldwide in 2018, $529 billion went to developing countries, according to the World Bank.

4.36 million Nepalis are working abroad, of which 75% are unskilled laborers. Remittances from workers like Hemraj make up nearly 30% of Nepal’s GDP. 

Angela Sherwood, who researches labor rights for Nepali migrant workers for Amnesty International, tells Axios that exploitation often starts at the very beginning of the journey. 

Workers often lack knowledge of the process and are illegally forced to make payments and turn over their passports. Government departments in Nepal tasked with protecting workers rights are severely under-resourced. 

In destination countries, wages often don't match what was promised. With debts hanging over them, workers feel they can’t leave even the most dangerous and exploitative jobs. 

Amnesty International exposed an engineering company linked to the 2022 World Cup in Qatar that failed to provide workers with salary, residence permits and access to medical facilities.

More than 7,000 Nepali workers died overseas in the last 10 years, according to the Nepali government. 

The numbers from India are even higher: 28,523 died in Gulf countries between 2014 to 2018, according to India’s government.

The deaths typically aren’t thoroughly investigated, but many could be tied to harsh working conditions, according to May Romanos, who has researched conditions in Qatar for Amnesty International.

The bottom line: Nearly every day, coffins of dead workers arrive at Nepal’s international airport in Kathmandu. At a crowded departure gate designated specifically for them, workers line up, hoping for a brighter future. 

Despite his recent experience, Hemraj will soon be among them. He’s planning to depart for Malaysia soon.

“I have no land and no job here. I need money to afford education for my sons. I have no option other than foreign employment to make my family happy."

Desperation and danger in the Gulf for South Asia’s migrant workers

More than 7,000 Nepali workers died overseas in the last 10 years

Nepali men line up to receive receive official documents allowing them to go overseas to work. Photo: Prakash Mathema/AFP/Getty Images

Nepal

Hundreds of thousands of migrant workers hoping to escape poverty and provide for their families depart South Asia every year for the Gulf region. The reality: Promises tend to evaporate when they arrive in the Middle East. Many find themselves working in exploitative and dangerous conditions — and unable to return home.

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Phanindra Dahal

Stories

Desperation and danger in the Gulf for South Asia’s migrant workers

Nepali government rejects blame for Everest deaths

India's elections approach the finish line

Pakistani "brides" are allegedly being sold to Chinese husbands

Nepal has a front-row seat to the great power competition in Asia