MPs express concern over Chinese build-up along LAC .
Monday, 28 November 2011 23:50 PNS | New Delhi
Rapid modernisation of military infrastructure including roads by China along the international border and Line of Actual Control (LAC) figured in the Lok Sabha on Monday, with at least 30 MPs expressing concern and seeking an explanation from the Government about the measures taken to counter this build-up.
This question came up in the backdrop of India lagging behind in building strategic roads in all the States in the Northeast and Ladakh facing China and Defence Minister AK Antony last week pulling up the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) for delays in meeting the time lines.
The MPs, cutting across party lines, asked “whether the Government is aware of massive infrastructure building including road and rail links by China right up to the international border and also in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (POK) and threat posed to India?”
Antony, who recently said Chinese infrastructure build up was a matter of concern, replied: “The Government is aware that China is undertaking infrastructure development in the border regions opposite India. The Government is closely watching all the developments on the borders and reviews the threat perception regularly.”
In a written reply, he said out of 73 strategic roads, BRO is entrusted with 61 roads of total length of 3,394 km in Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh.
He informed the Lok Sabha that out of 61 roads, 15 roads of length 563.87 km were already completed and work on 44 roads was under progress and building of two roads was yet to commence. Antony last week assured the Rajya Sabha that all the strategic roads will be completed by 2016.
Giving the break up of funds utilised by the BRO for the strategic roads projects in the last five years, he said Rs 86 crore were spent in 2006-07, Rs 169 in crore in 2007-08, Rs 327 crore in 2008-09, Rs 624 crore in 2009-10 and Rs 657 crore in 2010-11.
Antony also informed the Lok Sabha that two new strategic roads were under construction in Sikkim close to the international border. These roads are Sivok-Rangpo (44.39 km) and Murkongselek-Pasighat (30.617km). Moreover, conversion of Rangiya-Murkongselek (551.88 km) into broad gauge was also on, he said.
Tuesday, 29 November 2011
Monday, 28 November 2011
China warns India against giving 'platform' to Dalai Lama
Beijing/New Delhi, Nov 28, (IANS) :
China Monday said it is opposed to any country providing ''a platform'' to the Dalai Lama for his ''anti-China activities'' even as the Tibetan leader's envoy in New Delhi said India was right in letting him speak at an ongoing Buddhist conference.
The four-day Global Buddhist Conference being held in New Delhi entered the second day, with scholars debating the finer points of Buddhist philosophy and discussing their ideas of right living.
China, however, made it point abundantly clear.
“The Dalai Lama is not a purely religious figure but one who has been engaged in separatist activities for a long time, under the pretext of religion,” Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Hong Lei said.
“We oppose any country that provides a platform for his anti-China activities in any form,” he said in Beijing, in an allusion to the meet where the Dalai Lama will deliver the valedictory lecture Nov 30.
Hong's comments came days after India and China postponed the Nov 28-29 15th round of boundary talks over the Dalai Lama's participation in the conference.
Hong did not specifically say if China had conveyed its opposition to the conference.
India considers the Dalai Lama, who fled his homeland in 1959 after an abortive anti-Communist uprising, a spiritual leader and so free to speak on spiritual matters.
The India-China row over the conference led to the postponement of the boundary talks.
Both sides have downplayed the postponement, saying they were in touch over new dates.
Hong said that both sides were "in communication on relevant issues" and were also discussing the "specific agenda" of the talks. China paid "great attention" to the next round of talks with India, he stressed.
Tempa Tsering, the Dalai Lama's chief representative in Delhi, protested against China's design to give a political colour to a religious event, saying India "has done the right thing' by refusing to cave in.
“They (conference delegates) have no other motive other than to bring Buddhist scholars together to discuss Buddhist philosophy and share experiences of how the Buddhist teachings can help humanity,” Tsering told IANS at Hotel Lalit where some sessions were held.
“India is a free democratic society. China is a closed society; that's why they are reacting in a paranoid manner,” Tsering said, when asked about Chinese objections.
“The Dalai Lama has been a guest of India for the last 52 years. It would have been unusual if the Dalai Lama, who is regarded the world over as a spiritual leader and the head of Tibetan Buddhism, will not attend this conference,” he said.
“The government of India has done the right thing to let the Dalai Lama speak at the conference,” he said.
The Asoka Mission, the organiser of the conference, has also objected to the politicization of the event by China.
“The world is dealing with ... violence, social and economic disparity, environmental degradation and discord between and within communities and nations. The objective of the congregation is to stand united when it comes to sending their collective message to the world on such issues," said Lama Lobzang, president of the Asoka Mission.
Around 900 Buddhist scholars and followers from several countries are participating in the conference that began in New Delhi Sunday
Beijing/New Delhi, Nov 28, (IANS) :
China Monday said it is opposed to any country providing ''a platform'' to the Dalai Lama for his ''anti-China activities'' even as the Tibetan leader's envoy in New Delhi said India was right in letting him speak at an ongoing Buddhist conference.
The four-day Global Buddhist Conference being held in New Delhi entered the second day, with scholars debating the finer points of Buddhist philosophy and discussing their ideas of right living.
China, however, made it point abundantly clear.
“The Dalai Lama is not a purely religious figure but one who has been engaged in separatist activities for a long time, under the pretext of religion,” Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Hong Lei said.
“We oppose any country that provides a platform for his anti-China activities in any form,” he said in Beijing, in an allusion to the meet where the Dalai Lama will deliver the valedictory lecture Nov 30.
Hong's comments came days after India and China postponed the Nov 28-29 15th round of boundary talks over the Dalai Lama's participation in the conference.
Hong did not specifically say if China had conveyed its opposition to the conference.
India considers the Dalai Lama, who fled his homeland in 1959 after an abortive anti-Communist uprising, a spiritual leader and so free to speak on spiritual matters.
The India-China row over the conference led to the postponement of the boundary talks.
Both sides have downplayed the postponement, saying they were in touch over new dates.
Hong said that both sides were "in communication on relevant issues" and were also discussing the "specific agenda" of the talks. China paid "great attention" to the next round of talks with India, he stressed.
Tempa Tsering, the Dalai Lama's chief representative in Delhi, protested against China's design to give a political colour to a religious event, saying India "has done the right thing' by refusing to cave in.
“They (conference delegates) have no other motive other than to bring Buddhist scholars together to discuss Buddhist philosophy and share experiences of how the Buddhist teachings can help humanity,” Tsering told IANS at Hotel Lalit where some sessions were held.
“India is a free democratic society. China is a closed society; that's why they are reacting in a paranoid manner,” Tsering said, when asked about Chinese objections.
“The Dalai Lama has been a guest of India for the last 52 years. It would have been unusual if the Dalai Lama, who is regarded the world over as a spiritual leader and the head of Tibetan Buddhism, will not attend this conference,” he said.
“The government of India has done the right thing to let the Dalai Lama speak at the conference,” he said.
The Asoka Mission, the organiser of the conference, has also objected to the politicization of the event by China.
“The world is dealing with ... violence, social and economic disparity, environmental degradation and discord between and within communities and nations. The objective of the congregation is to stand united when it comes to sending their collective message to the world on such issues," said Lama Lobzang, president of the Asoka Mission.
Around 900 Buddhist scholars and followers from several countries are participating in the conference that began in New Delhi Sunday
Sunday, 27 November 2011
Insecure China
''India cannot give in to unreasonable pressure.''
India did well not to succumb to Chinese pressure over the holding of the global Buddhist congregation in Delhi this week and over the presence of the Dalai Lama at the conference, even though the high-level border talks between national security advisor Shivshankar Menon and China’s special representative Dai Bingguo, which were to be held at the same time, had to be postponed.
The two events were separate and had nothing to do with each other. The congregation, which is being held to mark 2,600 years of enlightenment of the Buddha, is mainly a private event, though the government has supported some side events associated with it. Therefore India could not have conceded Beijing’s demand for cancellation of the conference, though the President and Prime Minister, who were to take part in the conference chose to stay away. The congregation is a major event for Buddhist monks and scholars from all over the world and had been scheduled long ago. India also could not have prevented the Dalai Lama from participating in it because it is a religious event and had nothing political about it.
The Dalai Lama has studiously avoided any political activity in India, and India has taken care to ensure that the actions of neither the spiritual leader nor his supporters violated the terms set down long ago.
It has always been India’s position that the Dalai Lama is a guest and it would not place any restrictions on his activities as a religious and spiritual leader. China has been obsessively sensitive to the Tibetan leader, probably because it feels insecure about its presence in Tibet where even recently monks had protested against denial and violation of human rights. In the circumstances the best solution was to postpone the border talks, which might now be held in December.
There have been other recent irritants in relations, like China’s objection to Indian companies’ role in hydrocarbon exploration in the disputed South China Sea and New Delhi’s unhappiness over China’s activities in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.
This is unfortunate. But there is no need for India to give in to any pressure and concede any unreasonable demand made by Beijing. China may want to assert its power and strength in its neighbourhood and in the global arena. India also has its own interests to protect and promote. An unequal and weak relationship will not help India to reach a fair and satisfactory resolution of its disputes with China. source: Deccan herald
''India cannot give in to unreasonable pressure.''
India did well not to succumb to Chinese pressure over the holding of the global Buddhist congregation in Delhi this week and over the presence of the Dalai Lama at the conference, even though the high-level border talks between national security advisor Shivshankar Menon and China’s special representative Dai Bingguo, which were to be held at the same time, had to be postponed.
The two events were separate and had nothing to do with each other. The congregation, which is being held to mark 2,600 years of enlightenment of the Buddha, is mainly a private event, though the government has supported some side events associated with it. Therefore India could not have conceded Beijing’s demand for cancellation of the conference, though the President and Prime Minister, who were to take part in the conference chose to stay away. The congregation is a major event for Buddhist monks and scholars from all over the world and had been scheduled long ago. India also could not have prevented the Dalai Lama from participating in it because it is a religious event and had nothing political about it.
The Dalai Lama has studiously avoided any political activity in India, and India has taken care to ensure that the actions of neither the spiritual leader nor his supporters violated the terms set down long ago.
It has always been India’s position that the Dalai Lama is a guest and it would not place any restrictions on his activities as a religious and spiritual leader. China has been obsessively sensitive to the Tibetan leader, probably because it feels insecure about its presence in Tibet where even recently monks had protested against denial and violation of human rights. In the circumstances the best solution was to postpone the border talks, which might now be held in December.
There have been other recent irritants in relations, like China’s objection to Indian companies’ role in hydrocarbon exploration in the disputed South China Sea and New Delhi’s unhappiness over China’s activities in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.
This is unfortunate. But there is no need for India to give in to any pressure and concede any unreasonable demand made by Beijing. China may want to assert its power and strength in its neighbourhood and in the global arena. India also has its own interests to protect and promote. An unequal and weak relationship will not help India to reach a fair and satisfactory resolution of its disputes with China. source: Deccan herald
President, PM skip Buddhist meet
New Delhi, Nov 27, DHNS:
After overruling Chinese objection to Dalai Lama’s participation in the World Buddhist Congregation that opened here on Sunday, President Pratibha Patil and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh chose to skip the global meet of Buddhist leaders.
The congregation had to be inaugurated by Chairman Indian Council of Cultural Relations Karan Singh. The Dalai Lama is scheduled to give his valedictory address on Wednesday.
The President and the Prime Minister were invited and had agreed to attend the conference. However, they denied it afterwards, said a functionary of Asoka Mission, which has organised the congregation.
Though no one is speaking out openly about Chinese objection to the Tibetan spiritual leader addressing the conference, it has made the monks unhappy. Expressing the displeasure, main organiser of the congregation Lama Lobzang told Deccan Herald, “China is nobody to decide where he should speak, where not. How can they dictate such things?”
The Lama, who heads Asoka Mission, said: “The congregation is purely religious and it has nothing to do with politics.”
The four-day congregation shot into controversy when China wanted the Indian government to prohibit the Dalai Lama from addressing the conclave attended by close to 1,000 monks across the world. India rejected the Chinese demand on the ground that the Dalai Lama was an honoured guest of the country and a revered spiritual leader.
Chinese anxiety mainly relates to recent happenings in Tibet, where as many as nine Buddhist monks and two nuns have resorted to self immolation to protest violations of human rights and the repressions.
Beijing apprehends that the Dalai Lama may use the platform to highlight the issue.
On Sunday, the first day of the session, no direct reference to Tibet or any other place was made. However, there were comments on the plight of Buddhist heritage and traditions. Angdava Sherpa, Member of Parliament in Nepal, referred to attack on cultural traditions and demanded that the congregation oppose it. Her stand received wide support. Sherpa has skipped ongoing session of Parliament in her country to attend the congregation. Many senior monks endorsed the idea of global unity of Buddhists keeping aside differences of sects.
Source Deccan Herald
New Delhi, Nov 27, DHNS:
After overruling Chinese objection to Dalai Lama’s participation in the World Buddhist Congregation that opened here on Sunday, President Pratibha Patil and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh chose to skip the global meet of Buddhist leaders.
The congregation had to be inaugurated by Chairman Indian Council of Cultural Relations Karan Singh. The Dalai Lama is scheduled to give his valedictory address on Wednesday.
The President and the Prime Minister were invited and had agreed to attend the conference. However, they denied it afterwards, said a functionary of Asoka Mission, which has organised the congregation.
Though no one is speaking out openly about Chinese objection to the Tibetan spiritual leader addressing the conference, it has made the monks unhappy. Expressing the displeasure, main organiser of the congregation Lama Lobzang told Deccan Herald, “China is nobody to decide where he should speak, where not. How can they dictate such things?”
The Lama, who heads Asoka Mission, said: “The congregation is purely religious and it has nothing to do with politics.”
The four-day congregation shot into controversy when China wanted the Indian government to prohibit the Dalai Lama from addressing the conclave attended by close to 1,000 monks across the world. India rejected the Chinese demand on the ground that the Dalai Lama was an honoured guest of the country and a revered spiritual leader.
Chinese anxiety mainly relates to recent happenings in Tibet, where as many as nine Buddhist monks and two nuns have resorted to self immolation to protest violations of human rights and the repressions.
Beijing apprehends that the Dalai Lama may use the platform to highlight the issue.
On Sunday, the first day of the session, no direct reference to Tibet or any other place was made. However, there were comments on the plight of Buddhist heritage and traditions. Angdava Sherpa, Member of Parliament in Nepal, referred to attack on cultural traditions and demanded that the congregation oppose it. Her stand received wide support. Sherpa has skipped ongoing session of Parliament in her country to attend the congregation. Many senior monks endorsed the idea of global unity of Buddhists keeping aside differences of sects.
Source Deccan Herald
Saturday, 26 November 2011
Buddha event deepens India-China rift
New Delhi, Nov 26, DHNS:
A global conclave to celebrate the 2,600th year of enlightenment of Buddha has apparently emerged as yet another irritant in the complex relation between India and China, with Beijing asking New Delhi to stop Tibetan leader Dalai Lama from addressing its valedictory session next Wednesday.
The Government of India is understood to have rejected Beijing’s demand, stating that Dalai Lama is an honoured guest of India and is a highly revered spiritual leader who cannot be stopped from taking part in the congregation, which is scheduled to commence on Sunday.
The issue has now turned into the latest row between India and China, which have just postponed boundary talks in the backdrop of a tiff over Chinese objection to Indian companies’ role in hydrocarbon exploration in South China Sea.
Beijing is worried over the possibility that Dalai Lama might use the forum of Global Buddhist Congregation 2011 to highlight the restrictions on religious freedom in Chinese-occupied Tibet, where at least nine Buddhist monks and two nuns – mostly from Kirti Monastery – immolated themselves to protest repression and human right violation by the authorities of the communist country.
The organisers invited Dalai Lama to be the chief guest on the valedictory session on Wednesday.
Though the event is being organised by the Asoka Mission, the Government also got involved with it and some of the programmes associated with the congregation are being supported by the Public Diplomacy Division of the Ministry of External Affairs. Dalai Lama, who has been in exile in India since 1959, is also set to unveil a Coffee Table pictorial book – ‘Sharanam Gachhami’ – on the concluding day of the conclave. The book is being published by Full Circle and is supported by the Public Diplomacy Division of the MEA.
According to the sources, it was during Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s meeting with Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao on the sideline of the East Asia Summit at Bali in Indonesia last week that Beijing placed before New Delhi its demand for cancellation of Dalai Lama’s address at the GBC-2011.
New Delhi reiterated its official position that Dalai Lama was “an honoured guest in India and he could go anywhere in the country. But he was not expected to indulge in political activities. The fresh irritant came up at a time when a row between New Delhi and Beijing over Indian companies’ role in hydrocarbon exploration in disputed South China Sea cast a shadow over the 15th round of the Special Representative level talks on the protracted boundary dispute.
New Delhi, Nov 26, DHNS:
A global conclave to celebrate the 2,600th year of enlightenment of Buddha has apparently emerged as yet another irritant in the complex relation between India and China, with Beijing asking New Delhi to stop Tibetan leader Dalai Lama from addressing its valedictory session next Wednesday.
The Government of India is understood to have rejected Beijing’s demand, stating that Dalai Lama is an honoured guest of India and is a highly revered spiritual leader who cannot be stopped from taking part in the congregation, which is scheduled to commence on Sunday.
The issue has now turned into the latest row between India and China, which have just postponed boundary talks in the backdrop of a tiff over Chinese objection to Indian companies’ role in hydrocarbon exploration in South China Sea.
Beijing is worried over the possibility that Dalai Lama might use the forum of Global Buddhist Congregation 2011 to highlight the restrictions on religious freedom in Chinese-occupied Tibet, where at least nine Buddhist monks and two nuns – mostly from Kirti Monastery – immolated themselves to protest repression and human right violation by the authorities of the communist country.
The organisers invited Dalai Lama to be the chief guest on the valedictory session on Wednesday.
Though the event is being organised by the Asoka Mission, the Government also got involved with it and some of the programmes associated with the congregation are being supported by the Public Diplomacy Division of the Ministry of External Affairs. Dalai Lama, who has been in exile in India since 1959, is also set to unveil a Coffee Table pictorial book – ‘Sharanam Gachhami’ – on the concluding day of the conclave. The book is being published by Full Circle and is supported by the Public Diplomacy Division of the MEA.
According to the sources, it was during Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s meeting with Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao on the sideline of the East Asia Summit at Bali in Indonesia last week that Beijing placed before New Delhi its demand for cancellation of Dalai Lama’s address at the GBC-2011.
New Delhi reiterated its official position that Dalai Lama was “an honoured guest in India and he could go anywhere in the country. But he was not expected to indulge in political activities. The fresh irritant came up at a time when a row between New Delhi and Beijing over Indian companies’ role in hydrocarbon exploration in disputed South China Sea cast a shadow over the 15th round of the Special Representative level talks on the protracted boundary dispute.
Friday, 25 November 2011
Row over South China Sea looms large
Chill creeps into India-China ties
New Delhi, Nov 25, DHNS:
A meeting between Indian and Chinese Special Representatives (SR) over boundary disputes scheduled for early next week has now been postponed indefinitely, in the backdrop of a row between New Delhi and Beijing over hydrocarbon exploration in the South China Sea.
The Special Representatives—India’s National Security Adviser Shiv Shankar Menon and China’s State Councillor Dai Bingguo—were expected to hold the 15th round of talks on the protracted boundary dispute in New Delhi on Monday and Tuesday.
They were expected to firm up the proposed “Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination on India-China Border Affairs,” an additional arrangement involving senior diplomats of both countries to urgently deal with any evolving situation along the Line of Actual Control. The dates of the Special Representative level talks were not made public officially. Sources earlier said Special Representative Dai would travel to New Delhi to hold the next round of SR-level talks with Menon. The two SRs held the 14th round of talks in Beijing on November 30, last year.
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), however, on Friday stated that New Delhi and Beijing were in touch with each other to set dates for the SR-level talks in the near future, hinting that the parleys scheduled for Monday and Tuesday had been deferred indefinitely.
“We are looking forward to the 15th round of SR talks in the near future and the two sides remain in touch to find convenient dates for the meeting,” said Vishnu Prakash, official spokesperson and Joint Secretary (External Publicity) of the MEA.
The statement was issued a day after China’s state-run Xinhua news agency stated in a commentary that India’s “jitters” and fears over China’s growing clout in the region was caused by an “inferiority complex” and “loud jealousy”.
The SR-level talks were postponed in the backdrop of New Delhi brushing aside Beijing’s objections to the role of India’s ONGC Videsh Limited in hydrocarbon exploration in offshore blocks claimed by Vietnam in the disputed South China Sea. Beijing said it was opposed to any country engaging in oil and gas exploration in “waters under the jurisdiction of China.” China claims “indisputable sovereignty” over the South China Sea.
New Delhi refuted the Chinese objection, stating that its ties with Vietnam in the hydrocarbon sector were in accordance with the international laws and it would like the bilateral cooperation to grow in the coming years. India went ahead to strengthen its hydrocarbon ties with Vietnam.
During a meeting on the sidelines of the East Asia Summit in Bali in Indonesia earlier this month, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh told Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao that Indian interests in the South China Sea were “purely commercial” in nature and sovereignty claims on the disputed waters must be settled according to international law. Wen sent out a message of warning while addressing the Asean leaders in Bali and stated that “outside forces” should not, under any pretext, get involved with the dispute on the South China Sea.
Earlier in late July, an Indian Navy vessel, the ‘INS Airavat’, was reportedly warned by the Chinese Navy off the coast of Vietnam against entering “Chinese waters”. India also flexed its muscle last week with the successful test of new-generation 3,500-km Agni IV missile, followed by an announcement that Agni V, with a strike range of over 5,000 km would be test-fired in just three months.
Frozen relations
* Special representatives of the two countries were scheduled to hold the 15th round of talks
* They were expected to firm up an additional arrangement involving senior diplomats to urgently deal with any evolving situation along the Line of Actual Control
* Statement comes a day after Chinese news agency commented on India’s ‘jitters’ and fears over China’s growing clout in the region caused by “inferiority complex” and “loud jealousy”
* Foreign ministry says both sides in touch to set convenient dates for talks in the near future
source:Deccan Herald
Chill creeps into India-China ties
New Delhi, Nov 25, DHNS:
A meeting between Indian and Chinese Special Representatives (SR) over boundary disputes scheduled for early next week has now been postponed indefinitely, in the backdrop of a row between New Delhi and Beijing over hydrocarbon exploration in the South China Sea.
The Special Representatives—India’s National Security Adviser Shiv Shankar Menon and China’s State Councillor Dai Bingguo—were expected to hold the 15th round of talks on the protracted boundary dispute in New Delhi on Monday and Tuesday.
They were expected to firm up the proposed “Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination on India-China Border Affairs,” an additional arrangement involving senior diplomats of both countries to urgently deal with any evolving situation along the Line of Actual Control. The dates of the Special Representative level talks were not made public officially. Sources earlier said Special Representative Dai would travel to New Delhi to hold the next round of SR-level talks with Menon. The two SRs held the 14th round of talks in Beijing on November 30, last year.
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), however, on Friday stated that New Delhi and Beijing were in touch with each other to set dates for the SR-level talks in the near future, hinting that the parleys scheduled for Monday and Tuesday had been deferred indefinitely.
“We are looking forward to the 15th round of SR talks in the near future and the two sides remain in touch to find convenient dates for the meeting,” said Vishnu Prakash, official spokesperson and Joint Secretary (External Publicity) of the MEA.
The statement was issued a day after China’s state-run Xinhua news agency stated in a commentary that India’s “jitters” and fears over China’s growing clout in the region was caused by an “inferiority complex” and “loud jealousy”.
The SR-level talks were postponed in the backdrop of New Delhi brushing aside Beijing’s objections to the role of India’s ONGC Videsh Limited in hydrocarbon exploration in offshore blocks claimed by Vietnam in the disputed South China Sea. Beijing said it was opposed to any country engaging in oil and gas exploration in “waters under the jurisdiction of China.” China claims “indisputable sovereignty” over the South China Sea.
New Delhi refuted the Chinese objection, stating that its ties with Vietnam in the hydrocarbon sector were in accordance with the international laws and it would like the bilateral cooperation to grow in the coming years. India went ahead to strengthen its hydrocarbon ties with Vietnam.
During a meeting on the sidelines of the East Asia Summit in Bali in Indonesia earlier this month, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh told Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao that Indian interests in the South China Sea were “purely commercial” in nature and sovereignty claims on the disputed waters must be settled according to international law. Wen sent out a message of warning while addressing the Asean leaders in Bali and stated that “outside forces” should not, under any pretext, get involved with the dispute on the South China Sea.
Earlier in late July, an Indian Navy vessel, the ‘INS Airavat’, was reportedly warned by the Chinese Navy off the coast of Vietnam against entering “Chinese waters”. India also flexed its muscle last week with the successful test of new-generation 3,500-km Agni IV missile, followed by an announcement that Agni V, with a strike range of over 5,000 km would be test-fired in just three months.
Frozen relations
* Special representatives of the two countries were scheduled to hold the 15th round of talks
* They were expected to firm up an additional arrangement involving senior diplomats to urgently deal with any evolving situation along the Line of Actual Control
* Statement comes a day after Chinese news agency commented on India’s ‘jitters’ and fears over China’s growing clout in the region caused by “inferiority complex” and “loud jealousy”
* Foreign ministry says both sides in touch to set convenient dates for talks in the near future
source:Deccan Herald
Sunday, 20 November 2011
Tibetan waters crucial for India’s future
by PK Vasudeva | Tuesday, November 15, 2011
Future wars are likely to be fought over water due to its scarcity.
Tension builds up when an upper riparian country tries to control trans-boundary waterways. Population surge and industrialisation compel a country to control waterways, especially when such activities begin to affect the livelihood, ecology and growth of lower riparian countries.
Tension has been growing in South Asia due to China’s unilateral decision to construct dams and river diversion projects in Tibet.
Article continues below the advertisement...
Since 1989, China has been planning to develop south-north water diversion projects partly driven by internal economic compulsions and partly by the desire to acquire a dominant external position.
The Tibetan plateau is the world’s largest water reservoir. Asia’s 10 major river systems including the Indus, Sutlej, Brahmaputra, Irrawaddy, Salween and Mekong originate here. Of the world’s 6.92 billion people, it is the lifeline for nearly two billion (29%) in South Asia — from Afghanistan to the Ganga-Meghna-Brahmaputra basin and in Southeast Asia.
China has already built a barrage on the Sutlej. It started construction work to divert the Tsangpo (Brahmaputra) in Tibet in November 2010.
There are also reports that China’s state-owned electric power companies have already contracted with the Tibetan Autonomous Region government for the development of hydropower in different rivers of Tibet. China is also working towards developing road connectivity with Nepal and other South Asian countries.
Some of these Chinese activities might affect Nepal because some of Nepal’s major rivers originate in Tibet before finally merging into the Ganga. Of them, the most important is Karnali (507 km), Nepal’s longest river. Parts of Nepal’s other major tributary systems also originate in Tibet. Similarly, the major tributaries of the Kosi, like the Sun Koshi/Bhote Koshi, the Tama Koshi and Arun originate in Tibet. Nepal would be affected seriously if dams and diversion projects were built in upper riparian Tibet on rivers like the Karnali in the west, Gandaki in the central and Kosi in the eastern part of the country.
Any diversion of waters from Nepalese rivers originating in Tibet would directly affect the Ganga’s flow.
Perhaps, China well understands what George Ginsburg wrote: that it could dominate the Himalayan piedmont by virtue of holding Tibet and by doing so it could even threaten the Indian subcontinent and thereby further threaten all of Southeast Asia and by extension all of Asia. This is one of the reasons why China has so far not signed any bilateral treaty in regard to the utilisation of water resources with any of its neighbours and has also not signed the 1997 UN Convention on the Law of the Non-Navigational Uses of International Waterways.
Of late, China has drawn strong opposition from 263 international NGOs for its effort to construct dams on the Mekong River. These NGOs feel that China has been using the water resources in Tibet as a political tool. As such, they want a moratorium on the lower Mekong dams for at least 10 years.
Tibetan land is delicate and it cannot absorb the damming, river water diversion projects, mining and transportation, industrial and other such activities, which would lead to receding glaciers in Tibet and in the Himalayas. Unfortunately, some of these activities might invite an eco-disaster resulting in the meltdown of Himalayan glaciers, further resulting in the drying of rivers.
The best strategy for the lower riparian countries should be to engage China in a dialogue process and persuading it not to construct dams and diversion projects on Tibetan rivers at the cost of environmental degradation and the livelihood of nearly two billion people living in India and Afghanistan, the Ganga-
Brahmaputra-Meghana basin and the Mekong basin countries including Laos, Cambodia, Thailand and Vietnam.
The writer is a Chandigarh-based columnist on international
relations and trade
vasu022@gmail.com
by PK Vasudeva | Tuesday, November 15, 2011
Future wars are likely to be fought over water due to its scarcity.
Tension builds up when an upper riparian country tries to control trans-boundary waterways. Population surge and industrialisation compel a country to control waterways, especially when such activities begin to affect the livelihood, ecology and growth of lower riparian countries.
Tension has been growing in South Asia due to China’s unilateral decision to construct dams and river diversion projects in Tibet.
Article continues below the advertisement...
Since 1989, China has been planning to develop south-north water diversion projects partly driven by internal economic compulsions and partly by the desire to acquire a dominant external position.
The Tibetan plateau is the world’s largest water reservoir. Asia’s 10 major river systems including the Indus, Sutlej, Brahmaputra, Irrawaddy, Salween and Mekong originate here. Of the world’s 6.92 billion people, it is the lifeline for nearly two billion (29%) in South Asia — from Afghanistan to the Ganga-Meghna-Brahmaputra basin and in Southeast Asia.
China has already built a barrage on the Sutlej. It started construction work to divert the Tsangpo (Brahmaputra) in Tibet in November 2010.
There are also reports that China’s state-owned electric power companies have already contracted with the Tibetan Autonomous Region government for the development of hydropower in different rivers of Tibet. China is also working towards developing road connectivity with Nepal and other South Asian countries.
Some of these Chinese activities might affect Nepal because some of Nepal’s major rivers originate in Tibet before finally merging into the Ganga. Of them, the most important is Karnali (507 km), Nepal’s longest river. Parts of Nepal’s other major tributary systems also originate in Tibet. Similarly, the major tributaries of the Kosi, like the Sun Koshi/Bhote Koshi, the Tama Koshi and Arun originate in Tibet. Nepal would be affected seriously if dams and diversion projects were built in upper riparian Tibet on rivers like the Karnali in the west, Gandaki in the central and Kosi in the eastern part of the country.
Any diversion of waters from Nepalese rivers originating in Tibet would directly affect the Ganga’s flow.
Perhaps, China well understands what George Ginsburg wrote: that it could dominate the Himalayan piedmont by virtue of holding Tibet and by doing so it could even threaten the Indian subcontinent and thereby further threaten all of Southeast Asia and by extension all of Asia. This is one of the reasons why China has so far not signed any bilateral treaty in regard to the utilisation of water resources with any of its neighbours and has also not signed the 1997 UN Convention on the Law of the Non-Navigational Uses of International Waterways.
Of late, China has drawn strong opposition from 263 international NGOs for its effort to construct dams on the Mekong River. These NGOs feel that China has been using the water resources in Tibet as a political tool. As such, they want a moratorium on the lower Mekong dams for at least 10 years.
Tibetan land is delicate and it cannot absorb the damming, river water diversion projects, mining and transportation, industrial and other such activities, which would lead to receding glaciers in Tibet and in the Himalayas. Unfortunately, some of these activities might invite an eco-disaster resulting in the meltdown of Himalayan glaciers, further resulting in the drying of rivers.
The best strategy for the lower riparian countries should be to engage China in a dialogue process and persuading it not to construct dams and diversion projects on Tibetan rivers at the cost of environmental degradation and the livelihood of nearly two billion people living in India and Afghanistan, the Ganga-
Brahmaputra-Meghana basin and the Mekong basin countries including Laos, Cambodia, Thailand and Vietnam.
The writer is a Chandigarh-based columnist on international
relations and trade
vasu022@gmail.com
China Ache: After ASEAN, Myanmar might come closer to US
November 19, 2011
The developments last week mark a renewed focus on the part of US to wean away each one and everything it could from China.
1st: US President Barack Obama said in Australia on Thursday, on his last stop before ASEAN (Association of South East Asian) meetings in Indonesia, that the US military would expand in the Asia-Pacific and that America was “here to stay” as a Pacific power.
2nd: In the ASEAN meet the United States pushed for a trans-Pacific free trade agreement to ASEAN saying “lowering barriers” is the important and it “wants to work with” what is worlds’ economic powerhouse region.
3rd: In another ASEAN meet of business people, Clinton focused on the positive aspects of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP). The initiative has already been joined by four ASEAN members (Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam and Brunei Darussalam) as well as Japan, Australia, New Zealand, Chile and Peru.
4th: Come December 1, and US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton would be in Myanmar for a historic visit, the first in the last fifty years by a top US official, that could draw the country out of half a century of global isolation.
President Barack Obama said last Friday that he saw “flickers of progress” in Myanmar. Obama had spoken for the first time with Myanmar democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi on the sidelines of ASEAN meet.
After Suu Kyi’s release Burma has been showing signs of political reforms. Kyi’s National League for Democracy re-registered last week to fight by-elections. Myanmar has welcomed the visit.
Due to Western sanctions, China has emerged as Myanmar’s biggest ally, investing in infrastructure, hydropower dams and twin oil-and-gas pipelines and sea ports. But the relationship has been strained, with a long history of resentment of China among the Burmese population and fierce public opposition to a Chinese-built dam at Myitsone that prompted Myanmar President Thein Sein to shelve the project last month, a move that stunned Beijing.
Myanmar had been feeling the China heat for quite some time. That’s why the mellowing down in its attitude towards the west. Meanwhile, America’s growing worry about China’s growing ties with ASEAN and the recent heat in South China sea pushed it grab every Chinese that was willing to come its way.
Reuters reported that a US official said the Obama administration “fully expects” China to welcome US engagement with Myanmar and the United States would consult China closely on its engagement with the Southeast Asian country.
China is wary of greater US influence in the region, especially in countries on its border. But the US decision to engage with Myanmar should not be seen as an attempt to contain China, the US official said, adding that a stable Myanmar was in China’s interests.
“It’s about Burma, not about China,” the official said.
Southeast Asian nations endorsed Myanmar on Thursday for the chairmanship of its regional grouping in 2014. The United States said that it has no objection to ASEAN’s decision hoping this would be another incentive to the country’s leaders towards greater political reform.
India being another largest neighbour of Myanmar also has great stakes in political reform in Myanmar. India’s northeast could witness a turnaround if trade relations with Myanmar boom. Myanmar is also a critical link in India’s Look East policy
November 19, 2011
The developments last week mark a renewed focus on the part of US to wean away each one and everything it could from China.
1st: US President Barack Obama said in Australia on Thursday, on his last stop before ASEAN (Association of South East Asian) meetings in Indonesia, that the US military would expand in the Asia-Pacific and that America was “here to stay” as a Pacific power.
2nd: In the ASEAN meet the United States pushed for a trans-Pacific free trade agreement to ASEAN saying “lowering barriers” is the important and it “wants to work with” what is worlds’ economic powerhouse region.
3rd: In another ASEAN meet of business people, Clinton focused on the positive aspects of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP). The initiative has already been joined by four ASEAN members (Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam and Brunei Darussalam) as well as Japan, Australia, New Zealand, Chile and Peru.
4th: Come December 1, and US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton would be in Myanmar for a historic visit, the first in the last fifty years by a top US official, that could draw the country out of half a century of global isolation.
President Barack Obama said last Friday that he saw “flickers of progress” in Myanmar. Obama had spoken for the first time with Myanmar democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi on the sidelines of ASEAN meet.
After Suu Kyi’s release Burma has been showing signs of political reforms. Kyi’s National League for Democracy re-registered last week to fight by-elections. Myanmar has welcomed the visit.
Due to Western sanctions, China has emerged as Myanmar’s biggest ally, investing in infrastructure, hydropower dams and twin oil-and-gas pipelines and sea ports. But the relationship has been strained, with a long history of resentment of China among the Burmese population and fierce public opposition to a Chinese-built dam at Myitsone that prompted Myanmar President Thein Sein to shelve the project last month, a move that stunned Beijing.
Myanmar had been feeling the China heat for quite some time. That’s why the mellowing down in its attitude towards the west. Meanwhile, America’s growing worry about China’s growing ties with ASEAN and the recent heat in South China sea pushed it grab every Chinese that was willing to come its way.
Reuters reported that a US official said the Obama administration “fully expects” China to welcome US engagement with Myanmar and the United States would consult China closely on its engagement with the Southeast Asian country.
China is wary of greater US influence in the region, especially in countries on its border. But the US decision to engage with Myanmar should not be seen as an attempt to contain China, the US official said, adding that a stable Myanmar was in China’s interests.
“It’s about Burma, not about China,” the official said.
Southeast Asian nations endorsed Myanmar on Thursday for the chairmanship of its regional grouping in 2014. The United States said that it has no objection to ASEAN’s decision hoping this would be another incentive to the country’s leaders towards greater political reform.
India being another largest neighbour of Myanmar also has great stakes in political reform in Myanmar. India’s northeast could witness a turnaround if trade relations with Myanmar boom. Myanmar is also a critical link in India’s Look East policy
Friday, 18 November 2011
AN-32 resumes operation to Vijaynagar in Arunachal Pradesh
source: The Hindu
Governor Gen (retd.) J.J. Singh inaugurates renovated Advanced Landing Ground there
Arunachal Pradesh Governor Gen (retd.) J.J. Singh accompanied by Air Marshal S. Varthaman, Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Eastern Air Command, on Friday inaugurated the renovated Advanced Landing Ground (ALG) of Vijaynagar, a completely air-maintained and strategically located human settlement in Changlang district of Arunachal Pradesh and located at the tri-junction of India, Myanmar and China.
With the inauguration of the ALG, the operation of the transport aircraft AN-32 of the Indian Air Force — known as the workhorse of the IAF's transport fleet — to this inaccessible settlement also resumed after a long gap. Prior to suspension of the operation AN-32 in 2009 due to renovation work of the ALG, the IAF used to operate two civilian sorties every month from the Mohanbari airport in upper Assam's Dibrugarh district to Vijaynagar. In addition, there used to be three sorties a month for the Assam Rifles personnel guarding the strategic frontier. The old ALG was made up of Pierced Steel Plate (PSP) sheets and before every landing of an AN-32 the PSP sheets of the ALG needed to be fixed with wooden pegs which flew off as aircraft took off.
There is no road to Vijaynagar and no electricity for the over 6,000 population of the settlement that has 13 recognised villages and one unrecognised village. The only alternative to air transport is a six-day trek through a 157-km stretch of thick jungles through Namdapha, to reach Miao, the nearest town.
Changlang Deputy Commissioner Opak Gao toldThe Hinduthat after suspension of AN-32 operation, Vijaynagar was connected by helicopter service. However, due to suspension of Pawan Hans service in the wake of the helicopter tragedy in which the former Chief Minister, Dorjee Khandu, died, the helicopter service to Vijaynagar was also disrupted.
Alternative road
Mr. Gao said that the road from Miao to Vijaynagar through the Namdapha Reserve Forest was tried but the construction of the road was hampered by frequent landslips and disruption in supplies of construction material and equipment. “We are now trying to build an alternative road to Vijaynagar via Nampong which will be more than 200 km. The plan is that one Border Road Task Force (BRTF) company will be based at Nampong and will move to Vijaynagar and another BRTF company will be based at Vijaynagar and will move towards Nampong. ,” he added.
The colourful, little-known Lisu tribal people, who migrated from Myanmar in the 1930s, are the first settlers of Vijaynagar. The Nepali residents of this once ungoverned territory are ex-servicemen of the Assam Rifles and their families, settled there by the government of India between 1963-64 and 1970-71. An Assam Rifles outpost was opened in 1962.
Not for countering China: Air Chief
Staff Reporter from Bangalore writes:
The reactivation on Friday of the Vijaynagar airfield is part of a process to strengthen the infrastructure for increasing the accessibility to the northeast, and not for “countering” China, Air Chief Marshal N.A.K. Browne said.
He was talking to journalists on the sidelines of the inaugural of the 51st annual conference of the Indian Society of Aerospace Medicine (ISAM).
He said the airfield was too small to operate fighter aircraft. In addition to AN-32, C-130 transport aircraft would also be operated from the airfield in due course.
Asked about the plan to acquire six additional C-130J Super Hercules aircraft from Lockheed Martin, he said the process would be concluded by January. The Air Chief also spoke about the acquisition of two Israeli Phalcon Airborne Warning and Control System aircraft. “The proposal has just come to us from Israel Aerospace Industries. That proposal is being examined, and we will be sending that to the Ministry [for approval],” he said.
Earlier, speaking at the launch of the annual conference, of which theme this year is ‘Aerospace Medicine: The road ahead–new horizons and new challenges,' he stressed the need to bridge the gap between doctors and aviators.
The Air Chief presented the Chief of Air Staff rolling trophy for first primary aerospace medicine course to Flight Lieutenant Chandrasekhara Guru and the Air Vice Marshal M.M.J. Srinagesh Trophy for securing first rank in the 48th Advance Course in aerospace medicine to Lieutenant Commander S.K. Verma.
MMRCA deal winner to be announced next month
The winner of the contract to supply 126 Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA) to the Indian Air Force will be known by mid-December, Air Chief Marshal N.A.K. Browne said on Friday.
Speaking to reporters here, he said the winner of the Rs. 42,000-crore contract, touted to be India's biggest ever military supply deal, would be finalised by next month.
Two contenders remain in the fray: Eurofighter and Dassault's Rafale.
Asked whether there would be any cost-escalation, he said: “I can't tell you anything till the time we finish that work.”
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