PM KP Oli remains mum as China illegally grabs land in seven districts of Nepal

Nepal is fast becoming the victim of Chinese colonial design as Beijing is slowly and gradually encroaching upon Nepali land in several places. According to Nepali government agencies data, China has illegally occupied Nepal's land in at least seven bordering districts and is slowly moving forward, further pushing Nepali boundaries, and encroaching upon more and more landmass. 

It is pertinent to note that the data is being under-reported and the actual scenario could be worse as the Nepali Communist Party (NCP) is trying to shield the expansionist agenda of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). It is believed that China has made inroads into several other areas of Nepal and has occupied vast areas of land.

Diplomatic experts on China -Nepal relations said that Prime Minister KP Oli government has preferred to keep mum over the illegal occupation of the village by China under fears of displeasing the CCP. The Nepali districts which are victims of China’s land grabbing plan include Dolakha, Gorkha, Darchula, Humla, Sindhupalchowk,Sankhuwasabha and Rasuwa. 

According to the Surveying and Mapping Department of Nepal, China has pushed the international boundary 1,500 meters towards Nepal in Dolakha. It has pushed the boundary pillar Number 57 in Korlang area in Dolakha, which was previously located at top of Korlang. The pillar has been an issue of confrontation between the two countries and China has pressurised the Nepali government not to sign the fourth protocol on resolving and managing border disputes between the two countries as China wanted to maintain status quo and further transgress the boundary arrangements.

The Surveying and Mapping Department has also reported that China has occupied Nepali villages in Gorkha and Darchula districts. Similar to Dolakha, China has relocated Boundary Pillar Numbers 35, 37, and  38 in Gorkha district and Boundary Pillar Number 62 in Nampa Bhanjyang in Solukhumbu. The first three pillars were located in Gorkha’s Rui village and areas of Tom River. China occupied Rui village and merged  it with the Tibet Autonomous Region of China in the year 2017.Though Rui village is being represented as a part of Nepal in maps and citizens  of the village have been paying taxes to the Nepali

Similarly, the Human Rights Commission has reported that a portion of Jiujiu Village of Darchula has also been occupied by China. Numerous houses that used to be a part of Nepal have been now taken over by China and assimilated in the Chinese territory.

Besides the reports of land grabbing by the two Nepali agencies,Ministry of Agriculture also recently came up with a report highlighting multiple cases of land grabbing by China. The Ministry reported about China’s occupation of Nepali land in at least 11 places falling under four Nepali districts. Most of the areas occupied in these districts are catchment areas of rivers, including areas of Bhagdare river in Humla,Karnali river, Sanjen river, and Lemde river in Rasuwa; Bhurjug river,Kharane river, and Jambu river in Sindhupalchowk,Bhotekoshi river and Samjug river in Sankhuwasabha; Kamkhola river  and Arun river.

Nepal has refrained itself from going ahead with the border talk with China since 2005 as the Nepali government doesn’t want to offend China by reclaiming Nepali land and at the same time dodge criticism at the domestic front for losing territory to China. The Nepali government has also suspended the 2012 border talks to save itself from getting into an indecisive situation.

During the past few years ,the NCP has been acting like a puppet of the CCP-which has kept dominating the decision making process in Nepal.

As per some analyst,"The entire  world is observing the developments wherein the Chinese ambassador to Nepal is acting as a mediator and sorting out between Oli and Prachanda factions of the NCP. The friendship and assistance of China to Nepal is a part of the colonial design to ‘further the expansionist agenda by China."