China builds 11 structures in disputed area, triggers border row with Nepal: Report

The construction of 11 buildings by China in part of the remote border district of Humla which Nepal claims as its own territory has sparked a border dispute between the two countries, according to reports in Nepalese media.

A border pillar has been missing since Nepal built a road in the region several years ago, and now China has built the buildings. There was only one hut in the area in 2005, according to Nepalese officials who recently visited the disputed area.

“The Chinese side claimed that the area where the houses are being built is part of Chinese territory,” said Bishnu Bahadur Tamang, president of the rural municipality of Namkha, who visited the area on Sunday with the team of officials. .

Construction of the buildings by Chinese border and security forces has been reported to Nepal’s Interior Ministry.

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During an inspection by a team led by District Chief Chirinjbi Giri on Sunday, Chinese security officials claimed their territory extended to a kilometer further south of the area where the buildings are located.

Tamang, however, said the territory of Nepal extends two kilometers north of where the buildings are located, the Kathmandu Post reported. “Of the 11 houses in the disputed area, the security forces live in one and the others are empty,” Tamang said.

After Nepalese officials arrived at the disputed site on Sunday, Chinese security personnel arrived in a truck, tanker and jeep. They used a microphone to speak with Nepalese officials and asked them to come to the border for talks.

“We spent about an hour and a half in the disputed area. After we arrived, a team from the Chinese military and security officials came and said the talks could not take place on their territory. Then we left, ”Tamang said. “We said this area was our territory, they showed us the map and said it was theirs.

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The Interior Ministry dispatched a team made up of government officials, the head of security agencies and local government officials from Humla to the rural municipality of Namkha to conduct an inspection and submit a report, which is expected at the end. week.

Chakka Bahadur Lama, MP for Humla, said the dispute arose after a border pillar in the region disappeared.

“Until the two sides determine the location of the missing pillar, the dispute will continue,” Lama said. “The pillar was damaged during the construction of a road in Nepalese territory 12 years ago. This area where the Chinese are said to have constructed the concrete buildings is on the old yak caravan route used for trade between Nepal and Tibet.

At a meeting in 2015, Nepal and China agreed to determine the location of the missing pillar, but no action was taken afterwards, local officials said.

Officials further said that if a straight line of demarcation is drawn from the last existing pillar to the location of the missing pillar, the disputed land falls within Nepalese territory.

Parliamentarian Lama blamed the negligence on the part of the Nepalese government for the problem because the country’s security presence in the border area is lower than that of the Chinese side.

Zhang Si, spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy in Kathmandu, told the Post in an email, “The buildings mentioned by the media are on the Chinese side. The Nepalese side can verify it again. ”

The spokesperson added that China respects the sovereignty of Nepal and all questions from the Nepalese side can be “checked together. [sic]”.

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