A long-running border dispute is once more on the boil after India’s army, on behalf of Bhutan, allegedly tried to stop Chinese road building work on the Donglang or Doklam Plateau.
The incident, which happened at the India-China-Bhutan junction on June 4, sparked a stand-off between troops on both sides.
Strangely enough, a video and reports of the border scuffle came to light only on June 26, hours before India and the US made a joint statement in Washington about maintaining stability and peace in the Indo-Pacific region and announced plans for a maritime exercise, in the Indian Ocean, along with the Japanese navy, in July.
In the past, such border skirmishes between China and India have happened in the latter’s Eastern Ladakh. That the scuffle took place in the Sikkim sector this time raises the question of whether China is trying to create trouble in undisputed border areas as well.
Angry over India’s assertiveness on Bhutan’s behalf, China on June 20 blocked entry to Kailash Manasarovar pilgrims at Nathula Pass.
Nearly 50 pilgrims stranded at the border were forced to return home. China says the Nathula route will be reopened for them only after India withdraws its troops from Donglang.
Beijing views Donglang as its territory and insists neither Bhutan nor India can stake a claim to it. It regards the road construction underway in the plateau as legitimate.
While the sequence of events leading to the standoff between Indian and Chinese troops remains unclear, a video aired by Indian television channels shows a small group of soldiers from both sides blocking each other from advancing further along the border.
The skirmishes between Indian and Chinese troops are all linked to border disputes which remain unresolved despite talks. Not a single bullet has been fired, however, in any flare-ups over the past two decades
Sources in India say that after the border scuffle, Chinese soldiers entered the Indian side and destroyed two bunkers near the tri-junction.
So far, India has not responded to China’s accusations. New Delhi has likely been awaiting Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s return from a three-nation tour. Indian army chief General Bipin Rawat maintained a discreet silence after visiting north Sikkim on Thursday to take stock of the security situation.
Indian officials are viewing the border standoff as China’s attempt to start a confrontation in Sikkim.
Bhutan, which enjoys special relations with India, has issued a demarche over China’s road construction, asking it to halt the work immediately.
Bhutan regards Donglang as a disputed area and is concerned over the road work progressing towards its army camp in the Zomplri area. India too has security concerns as the road, once completed, will come near the Siliguri Corridor in West Bengal that connects north-eastern states to the rest of India.
Bhutan has no diplomatic ties with Beijing. Indian soldiers train the Royal Bhutan Army, build roads and bridges and conduct joint patrols at the border since Bhutan is under its protection.
China does not appreciate a third party interfering in its border issues with Bhutan, which became complicated after the PLA occupied the Chumbi Valley near Donglang in 1988.
Chinese incursions into India have almost doubled after New Delhi allowed spiritual leader Dalai Lama to visit Arunachal Pradesh, refused to join China’s Belt and Road initiative and expressed security concerns over the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor.
The skirmishes between Indian and Chinese troops are all linked to border disputes which remain unresolved despite talks. Not a single bullet has been fired, however, in any flare-ups over the past two decades.
In November 2008, Chinese troops destroyed Indian army bunkers at Donglang, near the tri-junction.
Chinese intrusions happened four times in Eastern Ladakh between April 2013 and March 2016. Troops occupied Indian posts for hours, even weeks, before matters were resolved through diplomacy.
Enjo Mathew all i wanted was to reply to haav Bline that bhutan does not need indias approval to its foreign relations.
And neither did bhutan seek asistance of indian army in the disputed area. India is assisting on its own for its own interest and such act is disturbing the chinese.
India should leave bhutan alone to act own its own to diplomatically solve the issue with the big dragon.
India should trust bhutan.
Sooner or later, it is inevitable. With many nations at odds with China over its devious mechanisms to infringe on its territory , someday, there will be a blowback. Chinese provocations are already conjuring up alliances between the powers of the region. I must add though, that the current Philippines president made a mistake by cutting off from USA and seeking favor with China. This will result in Philippines loosing its territory.
From the way China usurp and grabs land of other countries, I suspect it is just insatiable greed. Not only do they take over the land, they destroy the culture and native race of that place. This is such a loss to humanity. They live in a grand delusion that Han race will take over the whole world. Just like how Hitler believed.
Yeshay Wang "Independence and sovereignty does not come with dipmomatic ties." This maybe another Chinese perception issue. Bhutan is a sovereign country, a UN member country. There also exists security agreement between India and Bhutan for the protection of Bhutan. So when Chinese forces invaded into Bhutan territory to build roads, Bhutan turned to India for assistance to cease this activity. Indian Army intervened, the construction has been halted and the stalemate has continued ever since.
So contrary to your understanding, fact is, it is Bhutan that has requested the intervention of India.
Enjo Mathew you probably have not gone pass high school or you will know that chinese border with Korea, Vietnam and every country border China have not change for at least a thousand years. And within this time, white men spread all over the world to steal Australia, Canada, America, those they can’t steal upright they cheated the locals and colonize them like Vietnam Burma, Philippine by forcing locals to embrace a foreign religion and worshipping an imported gods.
Bhutan does not need approvals from india on its decission for diplomatic ties with china. It is the decission of bhutan to not to do so. Independence and sovereignty does not come with dipmomatic ties.
Ashish Shrestha Hey man,the chinese have sent people to space,their economy is 4times bigger than India,their army also 3 times bigger with all that they are unable to manage a small tiny colony of theirs like hongkong which is fully literate….be practical can they manage nepal which has 10 caste & 10 languages & 10 religions amicably……like India
Bro Nepal has no problem with China whatsoever..it’s India which has been creating problem in the reason.. blocking economic prospect of it’s smaller neighbor..
Why China, the biggest nation in the world wants to capture land teritory from smallest country in the world? I hope China has enough space to accomodate their population. Think humanly and let the poorest country remain peaceful
SOMEBODY MUST STEP-UP AND STOP vaCHINA’S UNRULY ACTION TOWARDS IT;S NEIGHBORING COUNTRIES !
all are part of China’s deceotful propaganda like the transgression did in South China Sea bullying smaller countries and robbed of their territories.china’s ambition of One Belt Road is a clear violation of other countries sovereignity and it lawfully and dutifull right that India exert their muscle sto protect their sovereign territory and stop china’s threat of silently invading their boundaries.
Nope. No matter how well defined the border with China is, there will still be incursions and land grabs. Inch by inch, they do creep in, history shows it.
That does not give China any right to start building roads in Bhutan, does it? the statue quo cannot be changed by force. And yes, Bhutan is a sovereign country, China has no choice but to honor the realities.
India has a more justifiable claim to Mansarover and Tibet. By settling Han people in these areas, you can alter the demography, but u cannot invent history. India should renounce One China policy and indeed lay a claim to Tibet. The people of Tibet are with India anyway.
Good fences make good neighbors. There should be clarity on border lines between India and China and China and Bhutan. Trouble starts when each of them tries to stake claim over a stretch of land by citing history, old treaty or map. The country which is more powerful will bully the other until it gets what it wants.
Bhutan still has no diplomatic ties with China because India insist any diplomatic relationship must be approved by New Delhi. Such a ridiculous situation should not continue, or there is no reason for China to honour Bhutan as an independent state.
Like Eurpean Union, China and India must work together for the prosperity of South Asia. Must understand the importance of respecting each others sentiments. Conflicts for barren land is not going to benefit anyone.
I feel #China is talking about ‘Special Relocation’. What I understood from few Indian MSM, they are claiming Chinese are demanding Indian Territories.This is not the case. As there are full scale ceasefire in such regions, military escalation is not important. The agenda is linked with ‘impractical’ movement of Muslims from North East & even current Gorkha Muslims beside China Border favoured by BJP Ext Cell & few Ex Army. Even though there are innumerable chances of Islam Escalation in Nepal.
India should break its silence on Doklam incident. Army chief Gen Rawat visited Sikkim border yesterday to assess the situation. Mistakes do happen because of confusion over the line of actual control and international border. China and India should carefully handle the situation.
It is all chinese drama…basically china is a imperial expansionist power which has to keep acquiring land from India,Bhutan,Nepal,Japan,south china if emperor XI does not acquire land the military will be annoyed with him,so from the 2100BC map they will say even delhi belongs to them….