The allegation that Royal Bhutan Army sought the help of Indian Army at Doklam is a crushing blow to our sovereign honour. This is above and outside any other issues that Bhutan may have with China or India. So do not belittle this by bringing up other issues. Deal with this at all cost. Do not hide for the whole wide world has been informed. Only the guilty or the colluders will remain silent.
Please understand that the allegation that at Doklam the Royal Bhutan Army fell at the feet of the Indian Army seeking help is a huge dishonour to our Defence Force and the Supreme Commander. This allegation over shadows any other grievances that Bhutan maybe having with either India or China. It is a very deep national wound and humiliation. And defeats the very purpose of having a Defence Force and great Supreme Commander.
In regards to Doklam, whatever the Royal Government positions maybe, I do not believe that RBA would have sought Indian Army help to confront any construction party of China at Doklam or anywhere else at the Sino- Bhutan Border. If that was so, why even station our Defence Force at the international Borders? Bhutan might as well hand over the security of our international borders to the care of respective Indian or Chinese Armies if we believe that the role of Bhutanese Army is that of frightened begging boy between the Armies of India and China.
On my part , I deeply respect and sincerely honour the sacrifices made, the physical hardships undergone in the harsh Himalayan weathers and the enormous courage shown by our soldiers and officers in guarding our international borders be it in the South, North, East or West of the Kingdom.
The Royal Bhutan Army has always stood their ground and up held their duty and responsibility. And no one has any political or moral right to discredit such an honourable national defence force of the Kingdom of Bhutan.
I have no personal issues with The Bhutanese or its Editor. There is no merit in pettiness. And I have no preference for neighbours as such has been decided by the Creator of the Universe. But I do appreciate the generous economic assistance and free trade and transit granted by India to us. I do want for India to remain our number one friend though I believe that Bhutan should have diplomatic and trade relationships with China also.
However, none of my general feelings has any relation to how humiliated I feel at this allegation that Royal Bhutan Army failed the nation at Doklam. No ! I will not keep silent at this gross insult and injustice to RBA and to the whole sovereign honour of the Bhutanese Kingdom.
Please do not keep silent. This blog is valuable because it gives a direct channel to the outside world of what Bhutanese actually think rather than filter through some non-Bhutanese media.
ReplyDeleteI am sure Royal Bhutan Army never sought help from India for the simple reason that Chinese army are discipline and friendly, even to Indian soldiers during quieter times. China has a demonstrable record of amicably settling twelve of its fourteen contiguous land borders so the reason the border between China and Bhutan has yet to be demarcated is certainly not because of China or Bhutan.
I can only imagine that the Bhutanese government these days is under intense pressure from India to make statements amenable to India's narrative and I applaud the Bhutanese government of staying true to itself. I am sure the Chinese leadership is fully aware of the delicate situation and will not be offended if the Bhutanese government make allegations that complicates the matter.
I fully understand why you are so adamant in clarifying that the RBA does not seek help from the Indian army because the implications goes beyond gross insult and injustice. I cannot speak for the Chinese government myself but from the Chinese media it is obvious that no one will tolerate a repeat of what happened to Sikkim. From the point of view of China the nature of this crisis is very different than the previous one with India because this time it occurs on a section that has been historically demarcated and been repeatedly affirmed from successive Indian governments. Whatever difference China has with Bhutan in this area is none of India's business. That India position itself to confront China on behalf of Bhutan rings all the alarm bells in China. I also noticed that the world's media are beginning to notice the duplicities and background that precipitate this crisis.
http://original.antiwar.com/justin/2017/07/06/sikkim-stand-off-china-india-collide-himalayas/
https://www.counterpunch.org/2017/07/11/china-india-standoff-modi-has-bitten-off-more-than-he-can-chew/
Japan, Vietnam, the Philippines and even India has diplomatic and trade relationships with China despite ongoing territorial disputes and geopolitical challenges. Why should Bhutan be any different?
ReplyDeleteBhutan is caught up between the devil and the deep blue sea:
ReplyDeleteI may not have the answer to this indo-Bhutan-sino trijunction crisis. Remaining ourselves silence in the face of ongoing standoff crisis does not really bode well for Bhutan and her sovereignty. It sends a wrong signal to both the contending parties. Both the parties are bidding for this important piece of highly strategic land of Bhutan: This Doklam plateau is strategically importance because it give them access to rest of the India from its tri-junction its narrow 21-km Siliguri chicken neck corridor and Bhutan, and the China’s strategic presence at Doklam not far from the trijunction not only threatens Bhutan, one of the strategic ally of India, but also its siliguri narrow corridor, thereby rest of India, including Sikkim and Darjeeling.. And China is closing in from all sides, Myanmar, Bhutan, Bangladeshi, Nepal, and Pakistan.. For now Bhutan is the only country, China has no diplomatic tie; so, Doklam plateau is the haggling chip to fall in their demand of a formal diplomatic tie with China, and they know as long as India is there the establishment of diplomatic tie is not possible. And India, on the other hand, also knows that Bhutan’s highly susceptible to the China’s mounting tactical pressure on Bhutan. And they already saw some form of arrangement was reached between Bhutan and China during the first democratically elected government of the time. And this threatens India’s position Bhutan. Already 24 rounds of sino-bhutan border talk was completed between Bhutan and China to which India was not the party to the talk because China did not recognize the third party role in the sino-bhutan border talk. India was a thorn to China to start the must-established diplomatic tie with Bhutan to advance their political ambition to contend the rising India in the Indian subcontinent.. It’s a legacy of colonial Bhitish to use Bhutan to their advantage to protect themselves from rising communist China is continued by independent India today… Years before sino-indo war broke out, the first prime minister of India, Nehru, paid a state visit to bhutan in 1958, and he convinced people of Bhutan that India was not Bhutan’s enemy but trusted ally.. He even offered India’s assistance to develop the country. This is how India became party to our five-year-plan development in the country for the past 4 decades..
India did not trust our government. They expressed their opened displeasure by lifting the subsidies on the essential commodities like SKO and Lequified Petrolium Gas, a days before the second general election of Bhutan...
although they know China don’t appreciate thirty party, India still stood up for Bhutan in protecting common interest as per the 2007 amended indo-bhutan friendship treaty of 1949; perhaps, India couldn’t take a changes this time to end this strategic patience over Bhutan’s vulnerability.
Third election is coming and there is no time to waste for India to grap this opportunity. Chinese activities on the sino-Bhutan border was seen as perfect opportunity by India to end their strategic patience over Bhutan’s vulnerability and quell their fear of the next pro-China government if there is…
Hope this tussle between to the two towering gaints of asia will not drag us into the never-ending conflict..We’re already between the devil and the deep blue sea…
If that is true, then its sad. However, we hear three different stories which is quite confusing. Indian media says that the Chinese have transgressed into their territory. The Bhutanese foreign media told the media that the Chinese have transgressed into our territory. While the Chinese side says that the Indians have transgressed into their territory. From what I hear the Chinese have started road construction in an area in Dolam that has been disputed between Bhutan and China. My understanding is that India is treating Bhutan as her protectorate state by intervening on behalf of Bhutan. Question of whether India has been invited into this dispute by Bhutan needs to be clarified.
ReplyDeleteAlso need clarification if the road is built on areas that is in dispute at all. At least from google map it seems the road is within Chinese territory. Also, the alleged Indian invasion happened from a different direction/area
DeleteIndia is clearly protecting her own interest and justifying the same by stating it needs to protect Bhutan's borders. It goes to the extent that Bhutan sought the assistance to defend its borders. Most probably it jumped in on its on accord to protect its self interest but needs an justifiable reason why it did so.
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion the Bhutanese government left to its own choice will work out the stand given the Chinese offer to settle and trade off more land for Doklam and also an officially agreed international border which will bring tranquility of an internally agreed border. India is a country of good people but a government who is out of sync with reality. Today parts of J&K are with Pakistan and China, yet publishes maps otherwise. When India can not protect her own land how can it protect Bhutan's land?
India should try to get back Azad Kasmir and Askia Chin before going to protect lands of Bhutan.
Its really confusing and hunting everyone..
ReplyDelete