Expansionist China now makes another move
While the Nepalese government has denied claims that China occupied part of its land along the border, China has secretly built the structures in the Humla district in Nepal and has also stopped the Nepali population from entering in this area. Yet again, PLA troops have encroached Nepal territory by illegally constructing nine buildings between Limi and Lapcha in Nepal’s Humla district. The matter has been reported to the Nepal Ministry of Home Affairs and Ministry of Foreign Affairs. As the world has witnessed an escalation in China’s territorial aggression on all sides of its border. China’s expansionist designs continue to haunt all-weather ally Nepal too, as it has encroached on yet another part of the country. China has managed to erect nine buildings on land owned by Nepal while disallowing Nepali authorities from stepping foot in the area. China has been encroaching on Nepalese land through road construction projects in Tibet.
Citing a media report, Khabarhub said that a recent investigation by Assistant Chief District Officer Dalbahadur Hamal of Humla from August 30 to September 9 revealed China’s encroachment into the territory of Nepal. Reports suggest that the Chinese are taking advantage of the border standoff with India and the absence of Nepalese security forces owing to the approaching winter season to gradually capture land in the region. Assistant CDO had visited the site after locals reported the information of the unauthorised buildings being constructed by China.
According to reports, the matter first came to light when the president of the local village council, Vishnu Bahadur Lama, went on a visit to this territory. He revealed that the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) has completed the construction of nine buildings in the Lapcha area of Limi village. Vishnu Bahadur Lama said over the phone that he was stopped from entering the area. He also claimed that Chinese soldiers involved in the construction crossed over to China when he asked them questions about the buildings. Lama, who also clicked pictures of the buildings from a distance using his mobile phone, said the construction has been done two kilometres inside Nepal’s side of the China-Nepal border.
Lama claims that he even tried to speak to the Chinese forces in vain and they did not respond and he was even told to go back. After denied entry into the region, he took a few pictures of the newly-constructed building by Chinese PLA in the territory on his mobile phone, which show the buildings were erected nearly 2 kilometres into Nepali territory. “I asked PLA troops about the buildings but they did not answer”, he added. An old building was erected by China in the area 11 years ago.
Now, Nepalese security forces along with measurement and survey department officials have been dispatched to the area concerned. Neither Nepal’s Home Ministry nor Foreign Ministry has issued a statement in this regard. It seems like the country’s top officials are waiting for chief district officer Chiranjeevi Giri’s report. The country’s foreign minister Pradeep Kumar Gyawali, however, had denied any reports of China occupying Nepal’s land.
After the government report, the opposition Nepali Congress urged the KP Sharma Oli government to bring back the encroached territory by holding talks with Beijing but so far the PM has not said anything over the issue.
China’s aggressive expansionist policies have recently led to a violent stand-off with India near Ladakh. Beijing also has had stand-offs with Vietnam and Malaysia in the South China Sea, pressurised Taiwan with night time drills in Taiwan Strait and threatened Australia with the boycott of wine, beef, barley, and Chinese students. The country, China, is expanding its border slowly and while it might not work with the country like India, a vulnerable country like Nepal seems to have encroached easily.
By Karishma Gwalani
