Nepal silent as China illegally seizes land in seven districts

China is slowly and gradually encroaching Nepali land at multiple fronts and the KP Oli government has preferred to keep mum over the matters due to fear of displeasing the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), experts believe.

According to the data reported by Nepali Government agencies, China has illegally occupied Nepal’s land in at least seven bordering districts and is further pushing Nepali boundaries.

It is pertinent to note that the actual scenario could be worse as the Nepali Communist Party (NCP) is trying to shield the expansionist agenda of the CCP.

The Nepali, districts which have been occupied by China include Dolakha, Gorkha, Darchula, Humla, Sindhupalchowk, Sankhuwasabha, and Rasuwa.

According to the Surveying and mapping department of Nepal, China has pushed the international boundary 1,500 meters towards Nepal in Dolakha. It has pushed the boundary pillar Number 57 in the Korlang area in Dolakha, which was previously located at top of Korlang.

The Surveying and Mapping Department has also reported that China has occupied Nepali villages in Gorkha and Darchula districts. China has relocated Boundary Pillar Numbers 35, 37, and 38 in Gorkha district and Boundary Pillar Number 62 in Nampa Bhanjyang in Solukhumbu. The first three pillars were located in Gorkha’s Rui village and areas of Tom River. China occupied Rui village and merged it with the Tibet Autonomous Region of China in the year 2017.

Similarly, the Human Rights Commission has reported that a portion of the Jiujiu Village of Darchula has also been occupied by China. Numerous houses that used to be a part of Nepal have been now taken over by China and assimilated into the Chinese territory.

Besides the reports of land grabbing by the two Nepali agencies, Ministry of Agriculture also recently came up with a report highlighting multiple cases of land grabbing by China.

The Ministry, in its reports, highlighted China’s occupation of Nepali land in at least 11 places falling under four Nepali districts. Most of the areas occupied in these districts are catchment areas of rivers, including areas of Bhagdare river in Humla, Karnali river, Sanjen river, and Lemde river in Rasuwa; Bhurjug river, Kharane river, and Jambu river in Sindhupalchowk, Bhotekoshi river and Samjug river in Sankhuwasabha; Kamkhola river and Arun river.

Nepal has refrained itself from going ahead with the border talks with China since 2005 as the Nepali Government doesn’t want to offend China by reclaiming Nepali land and at the same time dodge criticism at the domestic front for losing territory to China. The Nepali government has also suspended the 2012 border talks to save itself from getting into an indecisive situation.

During the past few years, the NCP has been acting like a puppet of the CCP, which has kept dominating the decision-making process in Nepal.

“The entire world is observing the developments wherein the Chinese ambassador to Nepal is acting as a mediator and sorting out between Oli and Prachanda factions of the NCP. The friendship and assistance of China to Nepal is a part of the colonial design to ‘further the expansionist agenda by China,” according to analysts.

With a crippling economy and ever-changing dynamics within the NCP, Prime Minister K.P. Oli is playing safe as Nepal is not in a situation of upsetting China. Hence, China is increasingly getting safe passage to infiltrate into Nepal and occupy the Nepali territory, part by part.