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Everest climber with 'Free Tibet' banner in rucksack deported by Nepal

Nepal has deported an American mountaineer after military officials found a “Free Tibet” banner in his rucksack while he was attempting to climb Mount Everest.

William Brant Holland was also banned from climbing in Nepal for two years for violating a ban on political protests while China takes the Olympic torch up Everest in the next ten days.

Mr Holland left Kathmandu for the United States on Monday, after being questioned by Nepalese tourism officials, the two agencies that arranged his trip told Times Online.

“He went back to America,” said Mohan Singh, a spokesman for Asian Trekking, Mr Holland’s principal agency. “He’s given a good statement, but it’s nothing to do with our company. If you come as a climber, how can we stop you from doing this kind of thing.”

Mr Holland, from Virginia, is the first mountaineer to be deported since China and Nepal imposed restrictions on climbers to avoid disrupting the torch’s ascent of Everest, the world’s highest peak at 8,848 metres.

The expedition is the highlight of a global torch relay, spanning 19 countries, that was supposed to spread a message of goodwill and harmony in the run-up to the Beijing Games in August.

But the relay has been plagued by protests over Chinese policies in Tibet as the flame has toured 19 countries, culminating in Vietnam today, before returning to China.

China announced in March that it was blocking expeditions to Everest from the Chinese side as well as to Cho Oyu - another peak over 8,000 metres - until after May 10.

Under pressure from China, Nepal then announced that it would stop climbers on the Nepalese side from staying higher than Camp Two, at around 6,500 metres, until after May 10.

Nepalese authorities have also posted military “liaison officers” at the Everest base camp to prevent any climbers from staging anti-Chinese protests, according to mountaineering guides.

The officers have confiscated all laptops and satellite and mobile phones from climbers at the base camp, preventing many from contacting relatives and sponsors.

They found Mr Holland’s banner while searching all climbers' bags and provisions at base camp last week, according to several sources in contact with colleagues on the mountain.

Nepal’s Tourism Ministry has now asked Asian Trekking and Himalayan Guides, which says it provided Mr Holland’s permit, to provide a report on the incident in the next two weeks.

“They’ve warned us that we could lose our licences otherwise,” said Umit Bhandari, manager of Himalayan Guides.

A BBC correspondent was also expelled from base camp on Monday.

Many mountaineering guides have criticised Nepalese authorities for endangering the lucrative climbing industry - and climbers' lives - by bowing to pressure from China.

Unconfirmed reports suggest that the "liaison officers" have now banned climbers from using radios to communicate with each other on the mountain.

Nepalese authorities have also been criticised for using excessive force in breaking up protests by Tibetan exiles outside the United Nations office and the Chinese Embassy in Kathmandu.

But Nepalese officials say they are simply being pragmatic in trying to maintain good relations with their giant neighbour, which provides millions of dollars of aid and investment every year.