(TibetanReview.net, Oct29, 2018) – India’s territory would not be allowed to be used for any political activity against China, New Delhi was reported to have reassured Beijing on Oct 22. This was when China’s State Councilor and Minister of Public Security Zhao Kezhi raised the visit of the Dalai Lama to Arunachal Pradesh in 2016 to India’s Home Minister Rajnath Singh, during their meeting in New Delhi, reported thehindu.com Oct 27.
The report also cited China as being categorical that no protests or demonstrations should be organised by the Tibetans in India.
China has been making similar demands and receiving the same reassurances from the government of Nepal as well.
India’s only pushback against China during the meeting for signing the first internal security pact between the two sides was when the latter sought to discuss the status of Arunachal Pradesh, which China calls disputed and describes as ‘southern Tibet’.
“They wanted to raise the so-called disputed status of Arunachal Pradesh, but we did not agree to include it in the agenda. The Chinese delegation was assured that no political activity against the Chinese will be allowed from any Indian territory and as far as the Dalai Lama is concerned, he is a spiritual Tibetan leader who was given shelter in India,” the report quoted an unnamed senior government official as saying.
The two sides signed during their Oct 22 meeting an agreement to “strengthen and consolidate discussions and cooperation in the areas of counter-terrorism, organised crime, drug control and other such relevant areas.”
Contrary to a previous report, China was reported to have assured India that it will, in future, consider any additional information that is provided on Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) chief Masood Azhar for the purpose of determining whether he should be designate by the UN as an international terrorist. The same assurance was reported to have been given in the case of the United Liberation Front of Assam insurgent leader Paresh Baruah, who is known to be living in China.
Kezhi said China would consider any fresh information provided by India on both Azhar and Baruah, the Indian official was cited as saying. However, this till does not mean that China will oblige India in either of the cases.
