Sikkim border fracas intensifies Bhutan asks China to restore status quo

NEWDELHI/BEIJING: Bhutan issued a demarche to the Chinese envoy, asking Beijing to restore status quo in the Doklam area where a section of Chinese soldiers tried to unilaterally build a road towards its Army camp in Zomplri area, the Bhutanese ambassador to India said on Wednesday.

The Chinese soldiers’ action led to a face-off with Indian soldiers, and escalated when Beijing halted the Kailash Mansoravar pilgrimage.

The demarche, a formal statement, was served through the Chinese embassy in Delhi on June 20 since Bhutan and China do not have diplomatic relations. The two countries have a long-standing border dispute.

Talking to Hindustan Times, Major General (Retd) Vetsop Namgyel, ambassador of Bhutan to India, said: “The PLA (Peoples Liberation Army) started motorable road construction in the Doklam area towards Bhutanese Army camp at Zomphlri. We are in boundary resolution talks with China and have written agreements that pending final boundary settlement, peace and tranquillity be maintained along the boundary and both sides refrain from unilaterally altering the status on ground.

“Bhutan has conveyed to China that road construction is not keeping with the agreements between two countries. We have asked China to stop road constructions and refrain from changing the status quo. Doklam area is near the tri-junction is part of the boundary talks between Bhutan and China.”

India has ‘hidden agenda’, no one should interfere in “our territory”, says China

China on Wednesday virtually accused India of having a

“hidden agenda” as it indicated that Indian troops had stopped Peoples Liberation Army soldiers from building a road in Donglang, a region at the centre of a long-standing dispute with Bhutan.

The foreign ministry accused Indian troops of trespassing into Chinese territory and said the alleged incursion was “totally different” from previous incidents.

Keeping up its aggressive posturing on the stand-off, the ministry said the “liability” for resuming the suspended Kailash Mansarovar Yatra lay with India, which should correct its “errors”.