Chinese army infiltration in Uttrakhand/ENG

2017. augusztus 1/Phayul.com/TibetPress

eredeti cikk

By Tenzin Dharpo

DHARAMSHALA, August 1: The escalating Doklam standoff between India-backed Bhutan and China has by no means deterred Beijing’s expansionist foreign policy as Chinese army was reported to have infiltrated into Northern India’s Barahoti region, situated just 140 kms from the capital of Uttrakhand state, Dehradun last week.

Indian officials said on Monday that Chinese troops were sighted on the Indian side of the Line of Actual Control (LAC) at Barahoti in Uttarakhand earlier last week.

Chinese troops reportedly threatened local Indian shepherds nearly a kilometer into the Indian side of the LAC and told them to clear off the land, claiming it to be theirs. The troops returned back after few hours after the incident.

Chamoli’s superintendent of police Tripti Bhatt was reported saying, “I am not supposed to comment since it’s a matter of the strategic relationship between two nations. But there has been something (in Barahoti). Partially, it is correct.”

The government authorities in New Delhi though have down played the incident, many say, against the backdrop of the ongoing Doklam saga. An official cited by HT was reported saying that the matter “should not be given undue importance”. “Incidents of a similar nature have happened in the past but are normally sorted out locally”, he further added.

Barahoti region’s 80-km-long pastureland is susceptible to infiltrations as the area is punctuated with many passes. Earlier last month, authorities confirmed that a Chinese military helicopter violated Indian airspace and hovered for around four minutes over Barahoti.

Last year, People’s Liberation Army (PLA) soldiers were spotted on the Indian side in the same area of Chamoli district. The Barahoti region is located in the 3440 km long LAC where Chinese army has been making incursions since the last few decades.