Buddhist monks help save Earthquake victims

Text by Anita Chang (AP)

Tibetan Buddhist monks and rescuers save woman after hearing her cries PHOTOS

JIEGU, China – Tibetan monks in crimson robes dug through earthquake rubble alongside government rescue workers Friday, a startling image for a Chinese region long strained by suspicion and unrest. The central government has poured in troops and equipment to this remote western region, but it is the influential Buddhist monks who residents trust with their lives — and with their dead.

• Video: Monks join China quake rescue effort
• Slideshow: Series of strong earthquakes hit China
• Video: China has ceremony for quake victims

As the death toll climbed to 1,144, there was tension and some distrust over the government relief effort, with survivors scuffling over limited aid. "They have a relaxed attitude," said Genqiu, a 22-year-old monk at Jiegu Monastery, of the government-sent rescue workers. "If someone's taking their photo then they might dig once or twice." More>>

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