China violated Panchsheel agreement on several occasions, says Tibetan Youth Congress chief

Amid simmering tension between India and China following a stand-off at the Galwan Valley in eastern Ladakh, the chief of Tibetan Youth Congress, Gonpo Dhondup, has accused Beijing of betraying New Delhi on several occasions despite having signed the Panchsheel Agreement in 1954.

"Former Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru visited China and signed the Panchsheel Treaty (The Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence). India has maintained friendly relations with China, but China is betraying India globally. After the Panchsheel Treaty, there was a war in 1962. And despite the dialogue there was another war in 1967 (The Nathu La and Cho La clashes) and there is a continuing war in 1975," Dhondup told ANI.

The chief of the largest Tibetan NGO in-exile said that India should not trust China, especially the Asian country's Communist regime.

"What China does is, first they encroach 20-30 kms of the territory and after continuous dialogue they step back 2-3 kms. So, they have already intruded 17-18 km of the Indian Territory. So, the Indian government has to take a strong and concrete system to deal with the communist government in China," Dhondup added.

He said that the people of Tibet are really concerned about China's aggression in Ladakh and it can only be protected with Tibet's independence.

"We have a historical record that Tibet remained a buffer zone between India and China for centuries. Till 1959, there was no direct relation between India and China because of Tibet as there was a buffer zone between these two giant nations. After China's illegal occupation of Tibet, His Holiness Dalai Lama along with 80,000 people were forced to seek refuge in India, Bhutan, and Nepal," the youth leader asserted.

He also stated that after 1959, there was "direct contact between the Indian Army and China's PLA. So the Chinese, time and again, they are more aggressive with their claim on the Land of actual control. So, we are very much concerned with the ongoing intrusion process. Not only now, In 1962, there was a war between India and China, which was started by the Communist government despite the Panchsheel Treaty between India and China".

Gonpo, who closely observes India and China's relations, especially the border issues, said, "The year 2020 is the 70th year of diplomatic relations between India and Peoples' Republic of China. The Chinese government must be thankful to the government of India for their support. India was the first non-socialist country who recognised the communist government (in China). India supported the People's Republic of China to be the permanent member in the United Nations Security Council (UNSC). So this year is a diplomatic year of 70 years for India and China. In return for the kind of gratitude, they are acting in the kind of intrusion process. We are very much concerned."

"What we demand is to the Indian community and leadership is - the only lasting solution that India can think is the Independent Tibet," he added.

After the recent intrusion in the Galwan Valley on June 15, Tibetan Youth Congress organised a campaign to boycott China.

On June 17, almost five NGOs, based in Himachal Pradesh's Dharamshala city, issued a joint statement saying that the Tibetan community supports India. They sent a solidarity message to the families of the fallen soldiers of Galwan clashes. 

-ANI

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