Chinese transgression in Ladakh: Activity not unusual say sources

New Delhi, Aug 15: A year after the Doklam standoff, there has now been Chinese activity reported in Ladakh.

A group of Chinese Army personnel intruded around 300 metres into the Demchok area in eastern Ladakh and pitched four tents in the area last month, official sources said.

They said the Chinese troops came to the Indian side of the border in the garb of nomads and pitched the tents.

The sources said transgression took place in the first week of July and days later, four out of the five tents were removed by the Chinese troops after the Indian side officially took up the matter with their local commander.

A source told OneIndia that this is not unusual activity. However all such incidents will be taken up at the appropriate level and sorted. The source however added that the incident is not being taken lightly and would be raised with the authorities concerned.

The number of transgressions by the Chinese Army into the Indian territory rose to 426 in 2017 from the 273 in 2016, according to official figures.

The latest incident of intrusion came nearly a year after Indian and Chinese troops were locked in a 73-day standoff in Doklam. The face-off had ended on August 28 last year.

Brigadier level talks

There has been some amount of activity reported at the Demchok sector by the Chinese. Troops of the People's Liberation Army had recently pitched five tents in the Demchok sector of eastern Ladakh.

While four tents were removed after brigadier level talks, one still remains. The PLA soldiers, according to sources had come into Indian territory in the first week of July. They had posed as nomads with cattle and entered Indian territory, despite India conducting banner drills and telling them to go back.

While four tents were taken down, the Chinese however complained that the Ladakh administration was attempting to construct a road in the Nerlong area.

The Brigadier level talks would continue to ensure that such transgressions do not take place. Sources said that India keeps a close watch on the situation and would ensure that matters do not escalate.

Engaging Bhutan in Doklam:

Meanwhile a parliamentary panel has suggested that India must encourage Bhutan to increase deployment of soldiers around the Northern Doklam area in the Sikkim sector to check Chinese activity.

The Parliamentary Panel on External Affairs, headed by Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, felt that increasing the number of soldiers in North Doklam was important for safeguarding India's strategic interests in the region. The draft report, circulated among the panel's members on August 6, did not clarify whether the committee was favouring increasing the deployment of Indian troops in the region.