While Nepali Congress (NC) has launched protests over Beijing’s latest moves, sections of the ruling party has defended China claiming that no such encroachment has happened, ET has learnt from Kathmandu-based political sources.
However, this is not the first time. Couple of months back Nepal’s Opposition party NC had moved a motion in the lower house of Nepali Parliament on the Nepalese land encroached by China. But the pro-China Oli regime brushed aside the concerns.
In June, a Nepal government report said that China is using road construction in Tibet to occupy Nepali land and may establish border outposts in the near future. Nepal’s survey department of the agriculture ministry had then claimed that China encroached on 10 places comprising 33 hectares of Nepalese land, adding that its northern neighbour has also been diverting the flow of rivers to increase its territory.
After the government report, the opposition Nepali Congress urged the KP Sharma Oli government to bring back the encroached territory by holding talks with Beijing but so far the PM has not said anything over the issue.
In a letter to the House of Representatives, the opposition claimed that more than 64 hectares of land of various districts such as Dolakha, Humla, Sindhupalchowk, Gorkha and Rasuwa were encroached by China.
Some NC MPs are planning to launch a fresh salvo after reports emerged that China has constructed nine buildings on the Nepali territory. The development came to light during an inspection of the Lapcha-Limi region of Nepal’s remote Humla region by the local district officer from August 30 to September 9. Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) and border police have occupied Nepalese territory at Limi Lapcha area of Namkha gaupalika (rural municipality) of Humla district.
The Chinese side has unilaterally completed the construction of buildings one km into the Nepali territory. Lapcha-Limi is a very strategic place from where Kailash Mansarovar is seen clearly and the Chinese move is part of its expansionist designs, sources told ET from Kathmandu. The matter has been reported by the district administration to the Nepal’s home and foreign affairs ministries.