Leh (J&K): After helicopter incursions into Indian airspace across the Line
of Actual Control (LAC), the Chinese Army has brazenly violated the International Border in Ladakh region and painted boulders and rocks in the area red.
The Chinese troops entered nearly 1.5 kilometres into the
Indian territory near Mount Gya, recognised as International
border by India and China, and painted the boulders and rocks
with red spray paint, official sources said.
The incursions were reported from the area, generally
referred in the Chumar sector in east of Leh, and painted
"China" in Cantonese with Red spray paint all over the
boulders and rocks, they said.
The 22,420 ft Mount Gya, also known as "fair princess of
snow" by Army is located at the tri-junction of Ladakh in
Jammu and Kashmir, Spiti in Himachal Pradesh, and Tibet. Its
boundary was marked during the British era and regarded as
International border by the two countries.
The border patrol discovered the red paint markings on
various rocks and boulders along the Zulung La (pass) on July
31 and the Chinese had entered into the area and written
"China" and "China" all over the place, the sources said.
When asked to comment on the issue, an Army spokesperson
declined to answer any queries regarding this, saying it was an
operational matter.
Though the spokesperson refused to answer further
questions, senior Army officials said the issue was being
downplayed as three of its Generals were currently in Beijing
and Lhasa under an exchange programme.
This incident was viewed with seriousness by the
officials as the Chinese have made foray into these areas for
the first time since Independence and sprayed the area with
red marking as deep as 1.5 to 1.7 kilometres of the Indian
territory.
The border forces talked to the locals located along the
border in Ladakh and Spiti from where they came to know about
the incursions by the People`s Liberation Army of China in
this area.
River Pareechu, which runs through Himachal Pradesh, has
been a headache for frequent floods, enters Tibet from this
region only.
Before this, Chinese helicopters had violated the Indian
air space along the Line of Actual Control in Chumar region
only in June and also heli-dropped some expired food.
Reacting to this, the Army spokesperson had said "there
was a report of a helicopter flying in the area south of
Chumar, where India and China have differences in perception
on the Line of Actual Control. It was reported by grazers."
India and China have been engaged in talks over the Line
of Actual Control and had exchanged maps in 2002. In the
western sector (East Jammu and Kashmir), the Samar Lungpa
area, between the Karakoram Pass and the Chipchap river, is
contentious, with Chinese maps showing the LAC to be south of
the Samar Lungpa.
This is the northernmost part of the border, far to the
north of Leh. But while the Indo-Tibetan Border Police
operates north of the line the Chinese claim to be the border,
they remain south of the Lungpa.
South of the Chipchap River are the Trig Heights,
comprising Points 5495 and 5459.
Chinese troops frequently enter the area and in fact,
they have a name for Point 5459; Manshen Hill. The area,
south-east of Trig Heights, called Depsang Ridge is also
contentious. Differences were found when Chinese small-scale
maps were interposed on large-scaled Indian ones.
Bureau Report
