(TibetanReview.net, Dec17’19) – While India’s policy is marked by ultra-sensitive concern not to offend China, the latter has shown scant regard for reciprocating the gesture and has again frontally taken the situation in Kashmir to the UN Security Council which is meeting over the issue on Dec 17.
The closed doors meeting takes place after a similar gathering in August, which was also called by China at the behest of its all-weather friend Pakistan after India amended its constitution to remove the semi-autonomous status of Jammu and Kashmir to divide it into two directly administered territories.
The Muslim-majority Kashmir region of the erstwhile state has been under lockdown and without internet access since Aug 5 when the government scrapped Article 370 of the nation’s constitution.
China’s current action followed a letter to the Security Council on Dec 12 from Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi who expressed concern about a possible further escalation of tensions.
“In view of the seriousness of the situation and the risk of further escalation, China would like to echo the request of Pakistan, and request a briefing of the Council … on the situation of Jammu and Kashmir,” Reuters Dec17 quoted China’s UN mission’s note to the council members as saying.
“We don’t know what exactly is this (meeting). We have to wait until the meet,” aljazeera.com Dec 17 quoted former Indian diplomat and strategic affairs expert KC Singh as saying.
“The last meeting was not on the UNSC agenda and this may be the same,” he has added.
The August meeting did not satisfy Pakistan and China as nothing came out of it.
