50 PLA soldiers set up camp in disputed Indian border area
Staff Reporter 2013-04-23 12:37
A meeting was held in Beijing on Dec. 3 2012 to discuss the border dispute between China and India. (Photo/Xinhua)
Around 50 soldiers from China's People's Liberation Army were found setting up camp in the remote region of eastern Ladakh, which is claimed by India, on the night of Apr. 15, an anonymous source from the Indian government told Agence France-Presse.
The PLA soldiers were located 10 kilometers inside the Indian border, according to the Press Trust of India based in Delhi. Though it is not uncommon for Chinese soldiers to enter the disputed region claimed by both nations, it is the first time that they have established a camp. Since the de facto border has never been formally demarcated, the Indian official said eastern Ladakh is an area where there have been differing perceptions of the Line of Actual Control.
Fearing a repeat of the 1962 border conflict between the two countries, the source within the government said India hopes such incidents can be resolved peacefully. "Incidents do occur and are resolved peacefully on the basis of bilateral agreements which exist and mechanisms provided for in these agreements," the source said to AFP, "We are confident the current incident too will also be peacefully resolved on this basis."
To prevent border disputes from escalating into all-out conflict, a working committee was set up in 2012 to consult on border affairs. However, soldiers from the Indo-Tibetan Border Police, an Indian security agency in charge of the border area, had set up a camp 300 meters opposite the Chinese camp, according to the Press Trust of India.
