Bhutan PM’s latest comments on Doklam dispute resolution raise concerns in India
Bhutan PM
Bhutan Prime Minister Lotay Tshering's latest comments on the Doklam plateau dispute have raised concerns in India. The plateau lies at the tri-junction of India, China, and Bhutan and tensions over the region have been high between the three countries since the 2017 Doklam standoff. Tshering, in an interview with Belgian Daily La Libre, said he was open to a three-way resolution on the matter and that Beijing has an equal say in finding a resolution.
"It is not up to Bhutan alone to solve the problem. There are three of us. There is no big or small country, there are three equal countries, each counting for a third," Tshering said.
India sees China's occupation of the Doklam region as illegal and is opposed to its expansion in the region due to its proximity to India's strategic Siliguri corridor. Beijing has constructed villages and roads within Bhutanese territory, posing problems for India.
China has been trying to shift the tri-junction approximately seven kilometre south of Batang La to a peak called Mount Gipmochi. This would make the entire Doklam plateau legally a part of China. Tshering added that it was ready to “draw out a line demarcating its boundary” with China.
Earlier, in 2019, Tshering told The Hindu, the “existing tri-junction point should not be disturbed unilaterally”.
He also dismissed media reports about Chinese installations in Bhutan. “We don’t make a deal of it because it’s not in Bhutan. This is an international border and we know exactly what belongs to us,” he said.
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International maps show the tri-junction point lying at a spot called Batang La. China's Chumbi Valley lies to the North of Batang La, Bhutan lies to the South and East and India (Sikkim), to the West.
In 2017, a tense standoff ensued between Indian and Chinese soldiers after Indian soldiers entered the Doklam plateau to stop China from extending a road in the direction of Mount Gipmochi.
(With inputs from agencies)
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