Nepali youths demand intervention of UN about land encroachment by China

A youth led organization, has submitted a memorandum to the authorities of the United Nations Office in Kathmandu asking for its intervention to prevent the Chinese from intruding on Nepali territory.

The Rastriya Ekata Abhiyan, which submitted the memorandum has also asked the government to initiate detailed research about the border dispute between Nepal and China in Humla district.

REA’s chairperson Binay Yadav along with a dozen more activists today went to the UN office in Kathmandu and handed over the memorandum to UN Resident Coordinator Richard Howard through Information Officer Rajendra Man Banepali.

Yadav, accused China for blocking any forms of dialogue between two countries and continuing its encroachment without any regards for Nepal. “It can be understood that two countries might have disputes about it’s border. But, It’s different here as China has shown no interest in dialogues with Nepal and it kept on doing it on its own,” Yadav said.

Giving an example of neighbouring India, Yadav said that sporadic border disputes are common between two countries and yet such issues are handled through dialogues. “But in this regard, there has not been a single word of dialogue, while we all know that there are at least dialogues even between two powerful rival countries.”

The memorandum also reminded the UN body to urge the government to act upon its own report. A high level investigation panel was formed by the Government of Nepal in September 2021 to study land encroachment by China particularly in Dolpa district.

Citing the report, the memorandum submitted today said, “According to the study, the area between pillar number 5 (2)and the middle of the Kit Khola has been marked as the border between the two countries since the 1963 Boundary Protocol. However, it has been discovered  that the Chinese side has erected fences and wires in Nepali land.”

It further said that China was also attempting to construct a 145 meter long permanent canal on Nepal’s side. “Chinese also started building roads on the Nepal side. After objection from Nepal’s Armed Police Force, the structures were removed but the covered rubble were still visible,” the memorandum reads.

The REA also said that the Chinese side violated the 1963 Boundary Protocol that had been broken because the Chinese side had erected fences towards pillar 10, which is 32 meter away from the shared pillar 9 between Nepal and China.

It further said that a survey conducted by the Ministry of Agriculture, Nepal has also found illegal Chinese encroachments in bordering districts including Dolakha, Gorkha, Darchula, Humla, Sindhupalchowk, Sankhuwasabha and Rasuwa districts.