Buddhist Times News – India-China Foreign Ministers Reach 5-Point Consensus To De-Escalate Border Situation

On Thursday, Indian external affairs S. Jaishankar and Chinese state councillor Wang Yi met for the first time after the start of the crisis, just six days after their ministerial colleagues in charge of defence had also held their first face-to-face meeting to discuss the stand-off on September 4.According to a joint press statement, the two ministers agreed that the current situation in the border areas is not in the interest of either side. “They agreed therefore that the border troops of both sides should continue their dialogue, quickly disengage, maintain proper distance and ease tensions,” the statement said.
Jaishankar and Wang Yi also agreed that both sides shall abide by the existing agreements and protocol on China-India boundary affairs, maintain peace and tranquillity in the border areas and avoid any action that could escalate matters.

The five-point consensus also includes taking “guidance from the series of consensus of the leaders on developing India-China relations, including not allowing differences to become disputes”.

1. The two Ministers agreed that both sides should take guidance from the series of consensuses of the leaders on developing India-China relations, including not allowing differences to become disputes.

1. The two Foreign Ministers agreed that the current situation in the border areas is not in the interest of either side. They agreed therefore that the border troops of both sides should continue their dialogue, quickly disengage, maintain proper distance and ease tensions.

2. The two Ministers agreed that both sides shall abide by all the existing agreements and protocol on China-India boundary affairs, maintain peace and tranquillity in the border areas and avoid any action that could escalate matters.

3. The two sides also agreed to continue to have dialogue and communication through the Special Representative mechanism on the India-China boundary question. They also agreed in this context that the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination on India-China border affairs (WMCC), should also continue its meetings.

4. The Ministers agreed that as the situation eases, the two sides should expedite work to conclude new Confidence Building Measures to maintain and enhance peace and tranquillity in the border areas.

The two sides, the statement said, agreed to continue to have dialogue and communication through the Special Representative mechanism on the boundary question and the ministers agreed that as the situation eases, the two sides should expedite work to conclude new confidence building measures to maintain and enhance peace and tranquillity in the border areas.

Jaishankar and Wang Yi met in Moscow on the sidelines of the meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO). Their talks come after a meeting between Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and his Chinese counterpart General Wei Fenghe in…

Those deadly clashes had occurred 1.5 months after India had detected an inordinate number of Chinese troops positioned far beyond their usual patrolling limits at the LAC. While Indian and Chinese military commanders had drawn up a disengagement plan, the road to its implementation has been bumpy.

Buddhist Times News – Ladakh situation “very serious,” need deep political talks: S Jaishankar

Ladakh situation “very serious,” need deep political talks: S JaishankarBy  —  Shyamal Sinha

Ahead of his trip to Moscow, where he is scheduled to meet the Chinese Foreign Minister and State Councillor Wang Yi, External Affairs Minister Dr. S Jaishankar called the situation in Ladakh “very serious,” adding that a “deep political conversation” was needed.

Jaishankar explained that peace at the border formed the basis for the Indo-China relationship.

“If peace and tranquility on the border are not a given, then it cannot be that the rest of the relationship continues on the same basis,” he added.

Since there were no differences at the border for the last 30 years, Indo-China ties progressed well, Jaishankar went on.

“If you look at the last 30 years, because there were peace and tranquillity on the border — there were problems also…I am not disregarding that — that allowed the rest of the relationship to progress. As a result, China became (India’s) second-largest trading partner,” Jaishankar said.

The minister reminded that agreements between India and China about border behavior date back to 1993. The rules clearly specify that both countries should keep minimum troops at the border.

“If these are not observed, then it raises very, very important questions. At this moment, I note that this very serious situation has been going on since the beginning of May,”

When quizzed about the future of Indo-China ties, Jaishankar quipped, “This is one area my crystal ball is a little clouded.”

However, he underlined that both countries must find mutual accommodation because it will determine whether there’s an “Asian century or not.”

When asked about what he planned to tell Wang, he responded, “Exactly what I will tell him, obviously I am not going to tell you.”

Jaishankar, who has served as India’s ambassador to China, and hence, understands the relationship extensively, had earlier spoken to Wang in June, days after the bloody Galwan episode.

In the violent clash at Eastern Ladakh in mid-June, India lost 20 soldiers, including the Commanding Officer of Bihar regiment.

New Delhi maintained that the incident was triggered due to the People’s Liberation Army’s misbehaviors.

To recall, Jaishankar had told Wang, “What happened in Galwan was premeditated and planned action by China which was responsible for the sequence of events. It reflected an intent to change the facts on the ground in violation of our agreements to not change the status quo.”

As per reports, Jaishankar has already left for Russia. He will speak to Wang on September 10 at the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) meet.

The SCO, seen as a counterweight to NATO, has emerged as one of the largest transregional international organisations which accounts for almost 44 per cent of the world population stretching from the Arctic Ocean to the Indian Ocean and from the Pacific Ocean to the Baltic Sea.

On the way to Russia, Jaishankar will make a stopover in Tehran to meet his Iranian counterpart.

He is expected to remind his Chinese counterpart about the bilateral agreements while urging him to honor them.

Jaishankar will also ask for the restoration of status quo ante at Gogra-Hot Springs and Finger 4, reports HT.

Notably, Defense Minister Rajnath Singh had also spoken with his Chinese counterpart Gen Wei Fenghe at the same platform last week, but the talks didn’t yield substantial results.

China has repeatedly claimed it is open for dialogue, but its frontline troops have shown complete disregard for the diplomatic statements.

The aim of the SCO is to maintain peace, stability and security of the region. India became a member of SCO in 2017.

Buddhist Times News – Raxaul-Kathmandu rail link

Raxaul-Kathmandu rail link

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Buddhist Times News – China’s military made moves near disputed border

By  — Shyamal Sinha

On 5 August 2019, the Government of India revoked the special status, or limited autonomy, granted under Article 370 of the Indian Constitution to Jammu and Kashmir—a region administered by India as a state which consists of the larger part of Kashmir which has been the subject of dispute among India, Pakistan, and China since 1947.

Local military commanders from the two countries were meeting along the disputed frontier on Monday to resolve the issues, India’s defense ministry said. It said India was committed to dialogue “but is also equally determined to protect its territorial integrity.”

The statement said China’s People’s Liberation Army on Saturday night “carried out provocative military movements to change the status quo” and “violated the previous consensus arrived at during military and diplomatic engagements” to settle the standoff in the cold-desert region.

In Beijing, foreign ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian said border forces were communicating over recent matters but gave no details.

“Chinese border troops always act in strict compliance with the Line of Actual Control, and have never crossed the line for any activities,” Zhao told reporters at a daily briefing.

India’s defense ministry issued its statement after a gap of a day and did not give details of the nature of the new incident.

The statement said Indian troops “undertook measures to strengthen our positions and thwart Chinese intentions to unilaterally change facts on ground.”

It said the activity took place on the southern bank of Pangong Lake, a glacial lake divided by the de facto frontier between the rivals and where the India-China face off began in early May on the lake’s northern flank.

Indian military experts said the latest incident occurred in Chushul sector, where the two sides were generally respecting each other’s positions.

“We never had any problem in this place and we hold it pretty strongly,” said Lt. Gen. D.S. Hooda, who served as the Indian military’s northern commander. “After relative calm, China has suddenly opened a fresh, brand new front. It’s a huge provocation.”

India unilaterally declared Ladakh a federal territory and separated it from disputed Kashmir in August 2019, ending its semi-autonomous status and straining the already prickly relationship between New Delhi and Beijing. China was among the countries to strongly condemn the move, raising it at international forums including the U.N. Security Council.

According to some Indian and Chinese strategic experts, India’s move exacerbated existing tensions with China, leading to the deadly June border clash.

The disputed and undemarcated 3,500-kilometer (2,175-mile) border between India and China, referred to as the Line of Actual Control, stretches from the Ladakh region in the north to the Indian state of Sikkim. The two Asia giants fought a border war in 1962 that also spilled into Ladakh and ended in an uneasy truce. The two countries have been trying to settle their border dispute since the early 1990s, without success.

The ongoing standoff high in the Karakoram mountains is over disputed portions of a pristine landscape that boasts the world’s highest landing strip, a glacier that feeds one of the largest irrigation systems in the world, and a critical link to China’s massive “Belt and Road” infrastructure project.

The face off began at three places. Soldiers at Pangong Lake ignored repeated verbal warnings, triggering a yelling match, stone-throwing and even fistfights. By June it escalated and spread north in Depsang and Galwan Valley, where India has built an all-weather military road along the disputed frontier.

On June 15, the troops engaged in a nighttime clash in Galwan that was the deadliest conflict in 45 years between the nuclear-armed rivals.

According to Indian officials, Chinese troops atop a ridge at the mouth of the narrow valley threw stones, punched and pushed Indian soldiers down the ridge at around 4,500 meters (15,000 feet), leaving 20 Indians dead, including a colonel. China did not report any casualties.

Accusing each other of instigating the violence, both sides pledged to safeguard their territory but also to try to end the standoff that dramatically changed the India-China relationship.

Several rounds of military and diplomatic talks on ending the crisis have been unsuccessful.

In Ladakh, the Buddhist organizations celebrated the removal of Article 370 provisions and making the Ladakh region a separate Union Territory. The people in Leh and Matho celebrated 15 August as a day of “independence from Kashmir” and welcomed their Union Territory status.

Buddhist Times News – Two Chinese firms invest in PPSEZ

By  —  Shyamal Sinha

Two Chinese-owned manufacturers have decided to invest in the Phnom Penh Special Economic Zone (PPSEZ) despite Covid-19.

PPSEZ is a 357ha industrial park in Kambol district’s Kantaok commune on the western outskirts of the capital and is operated by the Cambodian-listed Phnom Penh Special Economic Zone Plc (PPSP).

PPSP on August 14 said businesses in PPSEZ continue to make headway and investors are keeping pace and even expanding in the face of sweeping Covid-19-related concerns.

It said the two companies were drawn into PPSEZ by its potential and the perks the Kingdom provides investors.

Incorporated on May 15, Seikawa (Cambodia) Technology Co Ltd is the local arm of Zhuhai, Guangdong-based manufacturer of plastic parts for electrical and electronic devices Zhuhai Seikawa Plastic Products Co Ltd and will supply a well-known Japanese high-tech company in the Kingdom.

PPSP quoted the company as saying that the benefits of cut logistics costs and delivery time were key reasons for the decision.

Incorporated on May 5, WCFO (Cambodia) Co Ltd is the local arm of Hong Kong-based WCFO Communication Co Ltd, which produces fibre-optic devices and exports them to Japan and the US.

PPSP said WCFO “is looking at Cambodia as a new production base due to the fact that the labour is young, trainable and affordable, and the preferential treatment to Cambodia from developed countries, especially [given] the situation of [the] on-going US-China trade issue.

“During this hard time, we need to keep trying and [have] hope for [a] better [tomorrow]. Meanwhile, looking for or creating new opportunities is very important,” it quoted WCFO as saying.

Cambodia Chamber of Commerce vice-president Lim Heng on Sunday said the investment is a perk from the Chinese government’s trillion-dollar Belt and Road Initiative project.

He said the Kingdom is also reaping the benefits of the Sino-US trade war, especially evident in the soon-to-be-signed Cambodia-China bilateral free-trade agreement.

“The two companies have seized the opportunity to invest in our country to produce and export to China, the US, as well as Europe and ASEAN countries as well. We are pleased to have this many investors come and invest in Cambodia,” Heng said.

PPSP customer service manager Hak Serey told The Post in May that there are 108 companies operating in PPSEZ. “Currently, the project is full and we are planning to expand into another area.”

PPSEZ saw $1.139 billion in trade volume last year, up 14 per cent from 2018, reported PPSP.

Ministry of Economy and Finance data show that Cambodia exported $2.688 billion worth of goods through special economic zones (SEZs) last year, up 27 per cent over 2018.

There were 465 companies operating in the Kingdom’s 54 SEZs employing more than 100,000 workers.

Buddhist Times News – Office of Tibet DC to host virtual celebration of 60th anniversary of Tibetan Democracy Day in North America

Office of Tibet DC to host virtual celebration of 60th anniversary of Tibetan Democracy Day in North America

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Buddhist Times News – Lumbini missed thousands of Indian tourists this year due to COVID-19 pandemic

Lumbini, NepalBy  —  Shyamal Sinha

Lumbini, the birthplace of Gautama Buddha is missing tourists this year due to the global pandemic situation. Otherwise, thousands of Indians visit this UNESCO World Heritage Site annually.

The archaeological remains, although fragmentary, provide important evidence about the nature and intensity of the practices of Buddhist pilgrimage over nearly two thousand years (and now revived in the 20th century).”  “As the birthplace of the Lord Buddha, testified by the inscription on the Ashoka pillar, the sacred area in Lumbini is one of the most holy and significant places for one of the world’s great religions.”
“The number of Indian tourists (in Lumbini) stood at 93,852 last year while domestic tourists were 680,206. Around 86,531 tourists from other countries also had visited the site. Now it’s entirely silent,” said Gyanin Rai, Member Secretary at Lumbini Development Trust.
“Tourists used to throng the area for family tours, annual closing celebration and many other occasions mainly between January to July every year. Businesses use to boom mostly at that time but now it is all silent. We all miss them. Our revenue also has slumped due to this COVID-19 crisis,” Rai added.

The economic crisis induced by COVID‐19 could be long, deep, and pervasive when viewed through amigration lens. Lockdowns, travel bans, and social distancing have brought global economic activities to a near standstill.
Rupandehi, which lies in the southern plains of Nepal is connected with India. Thousands of tourists enter via various entry points established in between the two nations without requiring any sort of documents.
The tourism places of Nepali districts adjoining India have been relying on tourists coming from the southern neighbour. Last year, Nepal had welcomed 209,611 Indian tourists out of a total arrival of 1.17 million tourists.

In view of the growing number of pilgrims visiting the site, both the Lumbini Development Trust and JBF wished to adequately protect and present the ruins of the old Maya Devi Temple site as a matter of urgency. In 1998, the 2nd Seminar on Lumbini Development, attended by various international Buddhist institutions, discussed the revision of the Kenzo Tange Masterplan and stated the need for the construction of a new temple according to “archaeological norms and traditional ritual practice”. This wish by the international Buddhist community to have a new Maya Devi Temple was reiterated on various occasions.

It would not be incorrect to state that COVID-19 triggered massive reverse migration is likely to have far reaching implications for the migrants as well as the country, unless adequate and timely measures are taken to address this issue. First and foremost, the government needs to ensure that the distressed migrants get back to their homes safely. At the same time, quarantine strategies need to be devised to prevent this migration led spread of infection to the remotest places of India. The migrants should be assured of safety and financial security and motivated to get back to work at the earliest possible time. SARS-CoV-2 is here to stay, and hence, it is recommended to follow due safety measures to combat its threat, at least till the time vaccine is developed. Let’s learn to face novel Corona virus effectively with what we have instead of running from it.

Why the Indo-Japan ACSA agreement is important

By  —  Shyamal Sinha

A much anticipated summit between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Japanese Prime Minister, Shinzo Abe is scheduled to take place next month.

The summit would witness the signing of the Acquisition and Cross Servicing Agreement (ACSA). The meeting that comes at a time when India and china are locked in a face-off is likely to take place on September 10.

The Acquisition and Cross Servicing Agreement (ACSA) statute (formerly known as “NATO Mutual Support Act”) was enacted to simplify exchanges of logistic support, supplies, and services between the United States and other NATO forces.

At the end of the bilateral summit meeting in Tokyo between the two leaders in 2018, both countries agreed to begin formal negotiations on the ACSA. This would allow the Indian military and the Japan Self Defence Force to use each other’s bases for logistic support. “The two leaders welcomed the joint exercise between each of the three services and the commencement of negotiations on the Acquisition and Cross-Servicing Agreement (ACSA), which will enhance the strategic depth of bilateral security and defense cooperation,” the joint statement read.

The ACSA would permit the Indian Navy access to a Japanese base in Djibouti. The Japan Maritime Self Defence Force would be permitted to use India’s military installations on the Andaman and Nicobar Islands located in the Indian Ocean.

The ACSA was first discussed during the annual India-Japan Defence Ministerial Dialogue held at New Delhi in August 2018. It was also on the agenda of the Indian National Security Advisor, Ajit Doval and his Japanese counterpart, Shotaro Yachi held at New Delhi in September 2018.

The joint statement by the Prime Ministers also said, “recognizing that enhanced exchanges in expanding maritime domain awareness (MDA) in the Indo-Pacific region contributes to regional peace and stability, they welcomed the signing of the Implementing Arrangement for deeper cooperation between the Indian Navy and the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF).”

The meeting of Modi and Abe is important also in the context with the tensions with China. The issue regarding the Chinese would figure in the talks. The expansion drive by China is not just limited to Ladakh. It has also caused concerns for Japan over the ownership of the Senaku Islands. Abe too is under pressure from his Cabinet to take a tough stance on China.

China’s territorial hunger and thirst of strategic expansions has ruffled the wrong feathers not just with India but also countries sharing the waters of East China Sea. Japan, for instance, has been fairly a global player since the World War but the tables have considerably turned in these 75 years.

There’s a storm brewing and China is once again at the centre of it, guiding the wind and steering the vessel. Only this time it’s not India.

East China Sea is a crucial stretch of contention between China and Japan and the Red Dragon’s advancements and disputed claims over the Senkaku/ Diaoyu islands could possibly spark a new political tension in Asia in the coming years.

While China shares its borders (land and sea) with 14 countries, it is at loggerheads with most of them, including islands such as Taiwan.

Tensions around the East China Sea stretch, roughly 1,200 miles (1,900 kilometres) southwest of Tokyo, have been brimming for years. With both countries claiming over the region for hundreds of years, neither Japan nor China is expected to pull their mast down over the territory which is considered “a national birthright” in both Beijing and Tokyo, according to CNN.

Both claim authority over the uninhabited islands, known as the Diaoyus in China and the Senkakus in Japan, but Japan has administered the area since 1972.

Buddhist Times News – Govt Must Drag China to International Dispute Resolution Fora Over Artificial Lake in Tibet: Cong

The Congress on Sunday said if the need arises the government should drag China to international dispute resolution fora over the formation of a “very dangerous” artificial lake in Tibet which poses a risk to Arunachal Pradesh.

The opposition party hit out at the government over its response on strategic issues, saying all its talk of nationalism, “56 inch chest” and “red eye”, when it comes to specifics, sounds like “empty slogans and hollow claims”.

Congress spokesperson Abhishek Singhvi cited the danger from the lake on the Yarlung Tsangpo river in Tibet, the “high number of Chinese troops” in Depsang area in Ladakh and Nepal’s move to claim certain Indian territories, and said the government should come clean on such serious issues and resolve them.

“There is a very dangerous artificial lake which has come into existence in the area above of Arunachal Pradesh, in Tibet, on the Yarlung Tsangpo river,” he said, adding it would not be an exaggeration to call it a potential “water bomb”.

“The slightest crack, fisher or a deliberate sabotage would inundate and flood to the great misery of Arunachal and the entire Siang basin,” Singhvi said.

According to officials, an alert has been sounded all along the Siang river basin in Arunachal Pradesh after the Union Home Ministry in a report informed about the formation of the artificial lake in Tibet.

However, Singhvi said the government needs to do much more on the international diplomatic level.

“If necessary, needs to drag China into international dispute resolution fora. You cannot do things in the upstream part, which will endanger the downstream entities, this is a basic principle of international law, but, nothing is spoken, shared or disclosed by this government,” he claimed.

On Depsang area, he said that while military and dilplomatic talks are being held, “the ground reality is that a minimum of 12,000 and more accurately 17,000, it is believed, Chinese troops, additional and fresh, remain there.”

“There is no pull back. They are apparently of the fourth motorised infantry division of China. Again, what are you (government) doing…. No answer, silence, no conversation, no dialogue, complete trust deficit,” he alleged.

Singhvi said the third example was of Nepal which clearly under the malafide influence of China, at its wrongful bidding, had claimed areas like Kalapani, Lipulekh and Limpiyadhura and in drawn them into its own map.

There is a “huge failure” of diplomacy, communication and trust deficit, he said, attacking the Modi government.

“As Indians, as a responsible party, we don’t care except that we care for India. In which manner you can negotiate, talk, scare, pressurise or otherwise solve is something, which you have to work out, but, solve you must, otherwise these are very serious impending and potentially disastrous national security issues,” Singhvi said.

source – news 18

Buddhist Times News – China’s dams in Tibet may pose threat to India’s water supply

Col Vinayak Bhat for India Today. Read the original article here.

Over a period of 10 years, China has managed to construct three dams on the Brahmaputra river in parts of Tibet close to the Indian border. It plans to construct at least eight more such dams.

China’s rapid pace of dam constructions that includes at least eight new ones on the Brahmaputra River in Tibet has sparked concerns about the Chinese attempting to tame India’s water supply. The proposed dams on the Yarlung Tsangpo river in Tibet are close to the Indian border in Arunachal Pradesh.

In this region, the Chinese have managed to construct three dams within a distance of 24 km on the Brahmaputra River over a period of 10 years. This construction of dams at an unprecedented pace and scale has taken place in Tibet’s Sangri Lokha. Construction of a similar ‘triplet dam’ has been observed on the Nyang river near the town of Nyingchi in Tibet’s Nyingchi county.

Lokha, also known as Shanan lies in the northeast of Bhutan and south of Lhasa while Nyingchi is further east, both bordering Arunachal Pradesh.

In order to find out the aim of these massive construction projects, India Today OSINT team investigated them using Google Earth images.

The ability to control India’s water supply in the hands of the Chinese has always been a legitimate concern. China can use this to cause flash flooding or to divert water that could dry up rivers across India.

Zangmo Dam

A comparative analysis of satellite images of the Zangmo dam shows how its width has increased fourfold from 100 m in 2012 when the construction began to 400 m as seen on August 4, 2020, while the water levels have risen almost 150 m.

Thus, the reservoir which spans across almost 10 km can hold more than 600 mn cubic meters of water, an indication that a massive amount of water is under Chinese control in Tibet.

However, government sources say these dam constructions are being monitored closely. “It is something that has always been discussed between the two governments closely,” a government official tracking developments in this regard asserted. While claiming that the threat of China using these dams to cause flash flooding or block water to Indian territory is not visible, sources said, “For flash flooding, water has to be accumulated but there has not been anything abnormal that has been noticed.”

Amid the India-China military standoff in eastern Ladakh, Chinese activities including dam constructions along the Indian border are under the scanner once again.

New dams proposed on the Brahmaputra

China has proposed to build at least eight more dams on the Brahmaputra River in Tibet. These dams are to be built within the next 10 years at Bayu, Jiexi, Langta, Dakpa, Nang, Demo, Namcha and Metok towns that do not have more than a hundred households each. This has sparked speculation that the aim of these dams is only to build reservoirs and export electric energy from Tibet to mainland China.

Need for shared data on dam construction, water flow

Satellite images very clearly indicate that China is not building a large number of dams on the Brahmaputra River for the benefit of the people of Tibet. The area is scantly populated and electricity demands in the region could be met with a single hydroelectricity project like the Zangmo dam.

The Chinese could also aim to use these dam reservoirs such as the Dagu dam to divert Brahmaputra’s water to dry areas in Xinjiang or Central China. Evidence for such diversions is yet to come to light. However, reports have cited locals talking about it in recent years.

The third and perhaps the most worrying explanation for China storing water at eleven dams on the Brahmaputra River could be to control the water flowing into India.

Experts feel China’s dam construction is a key concern and the Chinese dispensation must be more transparent over the issue. Director of the Kubernein Initiative, Ambika Vishwanath tracks water diplomacy and security across the globe. She feels it is not just the quantity but also the quality of water that should be a matter of concern in the long run.

“There needs to be a closer study on not just the quantity of water flow but also the quality which can be extremely detrimental in the long run. It can have an impact on people’s lives in downstream regions. There are very little information and an understanding of the region. The entire Himalayas is a black hole of data,” Ambika says. She further added, “Scientists, researchers need more access to the areas and require more data to understand short and long term impact to aid in better policymaking.”

Ambika also says that one way of ensuring more transparency is joint initiatives, such as data sharing or construction of dams within joint management of river basins, but that does not seem likely anytime soon. “If there are joint constructions, responsibilities are also shared to safeguard installations on either side,” she points out.

Use of water supply as a weapon against India?

Blocking India’s water supply even for a few days can lead to rivers drying up across the country.

On the other hand, many feel low lying areas in India will be completely inundated if China suddenly releases all this stored up water, as seen in the case of the Three Gorges dam in Hubei province. A purposeful release of water from all the dams on the Brahmaputra can wreak havoc in India, many feel.

As per Indo-Sino bilateral agreements, China is expected to share data with India during the monsoon in order for the latter to keep track of water levels and prepare for floods.

After Pasighat in Arunachal Pradesh, the Brahmaputra River expands to almost 10 km in width. Its width varies from 8 to 10 km in Assam. Bridges in these states are surprisingly smaller than the width of the river. During monsoon every year, the bridges get flooded with their abutments almost always underwater.

Careful monitoring of these dams will provide a 15-day early warning since this is the time it takes for river water to travel from Tibet’s Lokha county to Pasighat in Arunachal Pradesh.

Zangmo, Gyatsa, and Dagu

There are three dams on the main Brahmaputra River built in unusually close proximity to each other. These dams are located within a very short distance of 24 km. With only the single village of Gyatsa and its population of barely 150 households, having three dams is unprecedented.

While the Zangmo dam has been commissioned, the Gyatsa dam is complete and awaiting commissioning. The third and largest of the trio, the Dagu dam has been under construction since 2017.

Dagu surprisingly has two inlets and two outlets for water to pass through the mountain despite it being a run of the river hydroelectricity dam. Such dams have electricity generators underground, in an area below the dam, and do not require additional tunnels for water flow.

This has led to doubts supported by rumors that Brahmaputra’s water may be diverted to the dry Xinjiang deserts through underground tunnels using the Dagu dam. Once all three are complete, the triplet dams will be able to collect almost a billion cubic meters of water in their reservoirs.

Pagsum, Langsai and Nyang

The three dams in Nyingchi county are being constructed on a tributary called Nyang that feeds Brahmaputra River. The dams at Pagsum, Langsai, and Nyang are much smaller in size but hold enough water to add to the Brahmaputra River flow.

Land barrier dam

Around October and November of 2018, rumor had it that China had clamped down on the Brahmaputra river and water flow had almost come to a halt. Reports of water being unusually muddy at the time had also come to light.
Satellite images revealed much later that a large landslide from the southeastern face of Sodong Ri Mountain had blocked the Brahmaputra almost completely.

International obligations dictate that China must seek permission from downstream countries before constructing any dam upstream on the Brahmaputra river. Despite its bilateral agreements with India, China still does not share any data in this regard.

Although New Delhi is paying a hefty sum of Rs 80 lakhs to Beijing for this data each year, the response India gets from the Chinese every time is the same- water in the Brahmaputra river washed the measuring instruments away.

His Holiness the Dalai Lama reinvigorates call for world peace on 75th Anniversary of the Atomic Bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki

Buddhist Times News – India treats Confucius Institutes and higher education cooperation in fair manner’: China

India treats Confucius Institutes and higher education cooperation in fair manner’: China

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                               <span class="date"><i class="icon-calendar"/> Aug 04, 2020</span>
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Buddhist Times News – Dalai Lama, Sikyong condole the demise of Taiwan’s former President Lee Teng-hui x

Dalai Lama, Sikyong condole the demise of Taiwan’s former President Lee Teng-hui x

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                               <span class="date"><i class="icon-calendar"/> Aug 01, 2020</span>
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Buddhist Times News – Ladakh’s Covid-19 Numbers low, Say Experts

By  — Shyamal Sinha

The first COVID-19 case in India was detected on January 30, the same day that WHO declared it a public health emergency of international concern. India went into lockdown almost two months later.

With 1,327 cases and six fatalities in four months, the trajectory of COVID-19 in the cold desert region of Ladakh validates the view that people living at altitudes of 3,000 metres and above are less likely to get infected compared to those in lowland areas, say experts here.

On June 15, the average testing rate in India was 4,972 per million. Ladakh had the highest testing rate at 38,170 per million, followed by Goa (27,568 per million), Jammu and Kashmir (20,400 per million), and Delhi (14,693 per million).

The recovery rate of the disease in the union territory is 82 per cent, substantially higher than the national average of 64.24 per cent. While 1,067 have recovered, there are 254 active cases, according to the Directorate of Health Services on Tuesday. All are under medical supervision in hospitals, corona care centres or in home isolation and none are on ventilator.

“The good news and the most surprising finding was the timely recovery of all infected patients despite the fact that majority of the patients belong to an area where environmental silicosis is prevalent which impairs lung defence mechanism,” said Tsering Norboo, retired physician and MD of the Ladakh Institute of Prevention. This, he said, led researchers to look at the epidemiology of COVID-19 in other high altitude regions such as Lhasa in Tibet and Wuhan in China.

A recent study, “Does the pathogenesis of SAR-CoV-2 virus decrease at high-altitude?’, by researchers at the University Institute of Cardiology and Respirology of Quebec, Canada, backed the finding. “The finding of COVID-19 pandemic appears to indicate a decrease of prevalence and impact of SARS-Cov -2 infection in populations living at high altitude over 3000m. The result possibly could relate to both physiological and environmental factors,” it said.

High altitude environment, it added, is characterised by dry climate, drastic change in temperature between day and night, and high ultraviolet radiation at heights may act as a sanitiser. UV rays are capable of producing alterations in the molecular bonds of the DNA and RNA (the genetic material of the viruses). “All together, these factors may dramatically reduce ‘survival’ capacity of the virus at high altitude and its virulence. Furthermore, due to lower density of the air and the greater distance between molecules at high altitude, the size of the airborne virus inoculum must be smaller than at sea level,” the study said.

Norboo added that the findings vindicated the belief that studies of high altitude natives, its environment and high altitude adaptation process can give clues to understanding the disease and therefore its treatment. “The recovery rate in Ladakh is very good. The patients we receive have mild symptoms and are not serious ones. Also, we do not have any patient who is on a ventilator,” said Tashi Thinlas, consultant physician at Leh’s SNM Hospital.

Of the recovery rate of 82 per cent, Leh district counts for 64 per cent and Kargil district 94 per cent. Of the six deaths, three have taken place in Kargil and three in Leh. The total number of samples tested till July 28 is 17,976. Since January 31, 73,016 people were screened at airport, intra district and inter district check points.

According to Phuntsog Angchuk, director, Health, Ladakh, the first confirmed positive case of COVID-19 in was reported on February 28 in Chushot Gongma village. It was also the first containment zone in the country. “In the initial stages, the patients were all pilgrims returning from Iran. Up to mid- May, only 45 positive cases were reported out of the total sampling of about 3,700. The surge occurred due to the heavy influx of local residents, students and labourers from different parts of the country,” he said.

Though the incidence of the disease is less compared to many other states and union territories in the country – India’s virus tally has mounted to 14,83,156 with 33,425 deaths — there are challenges aplenty. Thinlas said there is a shortage of manpower and quarantine facilities in his hospital.

“We never thought that this virus will hit Ladakh but it came so quickly. There are many administrative lapses,” he said. There is one testing lab in Chushot Gongma. A second one in DIHAR, Leh, is yet to start functioning fully.

“At present, the DIHAR laboratory is not fully functional. Analysis and trials are going on. It’s almost set up and will be functional within a week,” said Sonam Angmo, in-charge of the Chushot lab. Ladakh has also been sending samples to NCDC, Delhi, and PGI Chandigarh to ease the load.

Discussing the challenges ahead, she said winters will be tough. Laboratories need heating facilities as temperatures drop down to below freezing point and machines are very sensitive. According to Norboo, this is the most opportune time for Ladakh to establish a state of the art Molecular Biology Laboratory with the support of the Indian Council of Medical Research and links with institutes such as Pune’s National Institute of Virology and Delhi’s Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology.

In the longer term, what is required are investments in health infrastructure, ensuring continuity of regular health services, and improving health emergency preparedness. India will have to cautiously adjust spending, attract industrial investments to spur growth, and address rising unemployment. But over the next year, India can expect to remain in crisis mode

Buddhist Times News – As Sri Lanka researches ‘Ravan’s aviation routes’

It is believed that Ravan travelled widely in his Pushpak Viman, and the aviation routes could tell us more about Lanka’s geopolitical reach and influence.

रामायणम्, Rāmāyaṇam  is one of the two major Sanskrit epics of ancient India, the other being the Mahābhārata. Along with the Mahābhārata, it forms the Hindu Itihasa.

The epic, traditionally ascribed to the Maharishi Valmiki, narrates the life of Rama, the legendary prince of the Kosala Kingdom. It follows his fourteen-year exile to the forest by his father King Dasharatha, on request of his step-mother Kaikeyi, his travels across forests in India with his wife Sita and brother Lakshmana, the kidnapping of his wife by Ravana, the great king of Lanka, resulting in a war with him, and Ram’s eventual return to Ayodhya to be crowned king. This is the culmination point of the epic. It is the most sacred book, and is read by millions of people every year.

Sri Lanka tourism promotes an elaborate Ramayan trail stretching from Munneswaram to Trincomalee, Ella to Colombo. The nation’s first satellite launched last year is named ‘Ravana-1’.

Contrast this with India, where a masjid stood on Lord Ram’s birthplace for centuries and despite overwhelming evidence presented in court, ‘seculars’ stayed in denial. Any proposal to enhance the philosophical understanding of Ramayan, or studying Ram’s journey and alliances, or building tourism circuits based on the epic is mocked and met with disdain and protests.

While Sri Lanka unabashedly embraces its past, identity and legacy, Hindus in the homeland of their faith are repeatedly shamed and censored from honouring their defining epic because it would apparently be communal and upset minorities.

Indians are supposed to accept without compelling scientific proof the existence of Jesus or Mohammed, but a Ram or a Krishna cannot break the glass ceiling of mythology.

Even intellectual curiosity into Hindu epics is discouraged. In 2015, a paper presented on Ravan’s Pushpak Viman at the Indian Science Congress in Mumbai met with massive outrage. Five years later, a neighbouring government has proudly launched a full-scale study on the subject.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi was incessantly mocked when in 2014 he said cosmetic surgery originated in India. Four years later, a Columbia University’s Inving Medical Centre study traced the roots of cosmetic and reconstructive procedures to ancient India more than 2,500 years ago.

“During the 6th Century BCE, an Indian physician named Sushruta €” widely regarded in India as the ‘father of surgery’ €” wrote one of the world’s earliest works on medicine and surgery,” the paper said. “The Sushruta Samhita documented the etiology of more than 1,100 diseases, the use of hundreds of medicinal plants, and instructions for performing scores of surgical procedures, including three types of skin grafts and reconstruction of the nose.”

The sheer genius of the British colonial project to ruin homegrown Indian knowledge and education and replace it with one that produces clerical, self-loathing brown sahibs is evident even today. Jawaharlal Nehru continued with this colonial system, outsourcing the massacre of history to Left intellectuals.

While Sri Lanka reconstructs its past by studying its tradition and trade routes mentioned in ancient texts like Ramayan and Valahassa Jataka, India is still to fix its education system, distortions of history, and broken pride in its glorious roots.

While India is in denial on Ram, Lanka proudly flaunts the extraordinary antagonist, Ravan, about whom writer Amish Tripathi says: “He is different from your ordinary villain. Just because he is so scholarly. He is a brilliant musician, a brilliant poet, a good dancer, he is exceptionally well read, he is a very good administrator. Which makes him a deep, complex man, and fascinating to write about. Even Ravan’s violence was scholarly.”

The name Ramayana means “Rama” + “Aayana”, where as Rama is name of Lord or God and Aayana means Path or Way. The literal meaning of the name is “the journey of Rāma” or “the career of Rāma” or in other words path or way taken or chosen by Rama during the human life cycle form at earth, during Treta Yuga (869000 years ago) in Jambudweep(Java Plum)/Aryavart/India.

Sri Lanka, wisely and justifiably, is delving into its rich trade, maritime traditions, and now even aerial routes to construct a robust national mythology. Vinod Moonesinghe, in his piece, outlines the scope of that knowledge from the story of Yakkhinis of Jataka Tales who captured and married shipwrecked merchants to Sinbad the Sailor to Tamil Nadu and Odisha connections to ship links with China and Vietnam.

These strengthen the story of Ravan’s regional influence. India, with a much richer maritime history and way bigger geopolitical influence in the Indian Ocean, don’t even give space to the likes of Rajendra Chola.

Sri Lanka has done what India should have long ago. An expansive study of Lord Ram’s travels and alliances is long overdue. But before that, we need to shed our apologist attitude towards our own past and roots.

According to Hindu tradition, Rama is an incarnation (Avatar) of god Vishnu. The main purpose of this incarnation is to demonstrate the righteous path (dharma) for all living creatures on earth.

Buddhist Times News – Who are the Uighur people and why do they face oppression by China?

A Uighur woman with her children at the Unity New Village in western China’s Xinjiang region: APChina is facing mounting global criticism over its treatment of the Uighur population in Xinjiang province – with claims of forced labour camps and mass sterilisation.

Boris Johnson’s government has accused Beijing of “egregious” human rights abuses against the minority group, while Donald Trump’s administration has imposed sanctions on Chinese officials linked to alleged oppression.

So who are the Uighurs? And what sort of evidence lies behind these claims? The Independent took a closer look at a group largely forgotten by the world until recent weeks.

Who are the Uighur people?

The Uighur are an ethnic minority group of Muslims living in China’s north-west region of Xinjiang. There are an estimated 11 million Uighurs in the region – almost half of its total population.

Uighur Muslims have been there for hundreds of years and speak a language related to Turkish. It is believed their ancestors may have come from a previous homeland of the Turks in the northern part of central Asia.

Some Uighurs don’t accept that Xinjiang – officially an “autonomous region” – is part of China, citing evidence that their ancestors lived in the area before Chinese Han and Tang dynasties established their dominion in the area.

What sort of abuse is thought to be taking place?

There is credible evidence that up to one million Uighurs and other Muslim minorities are being held in “re-education” detention centres in Xinjiang, according to a report by the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination.

Beijing has denied any mistreatment – claiming that these camps are “vocational training centres” which help stamp out extremism by Islamist separatists, as well as giving people new skills.

A man driving a vehicle in an Uighur neighbourhood in Aksu, Xinjiang province (AFP via Getty Images)However, a 2018 report by Amnesty International report found that arbitrary detention of Uighur Muslims across the province was widespread. The exile group World Uyghur Congress claims detainees are held without charge, and forced to undergo attempted indoctrination by shouting Chinese Communist Party slogans.

When recently confronted with disturbing video footage showing blindfolded men kneeling and waiting to be led onto trains in Xinjiang, China’s ambassador to the UK told the BBC the video could be “fake”. The video was authenticated by the Australian security services.

What’s behind the claims of ‘mass sterilisation’?

There is evidence Chinese government is taking draconian measures to slash birth rates among Uighurs as part of a sweeping campaign to curb its Muslim population.

A report released in June by China scholar Adrian Zenz claimed the Chinese authorities were forcing Uighur women to be sterilised or fitted with contraceptive devices across Xinjiang.

A recent Associated Press investigation discovered women in the province have faced fines and threats of detention for breaching limits on having babies. It also found the authorities force intrauterine devices (IUDs), sterilisation and even abortion on Uighur women.

Protesters attend a rally in Hong Kong to show support for the Uighur minority in China (AFP/Getty)What political action has been taken?

The US has imposed sanctions on Chinese officials, companies and institutions linked to China’s treatment of Uighurs in the Xinjiang region. On 20 July, the US Commerce Department added 11 Chinese companies to the US economic blacklist.

Earlier this week UK foreign secretary Dominic Raab accused Chinese officials of committing “gross, egregious” human rights abuses in Xinjiang – but the British government stopped short of introducing sanctions against officials accused of abuse against the Uighur.

France also condemned the treatment of the ethnic group. French finance minister Bruno Le Maire said it was “revolting and unacceptable” – and called for “international independent observers” to be allowed to inspect conditions in Xinjiang.

What about private companies using Uighur labour?

More than 180 human rights groups have urged brands from Adidas to Amazon to end sourcing of cotton and clothing from the Xinjiang region and cut ties with any suppliers in China that benefit from what they claim to be “forced labour”.

While most fashion brands do not source from factories in Xinjiang, many of their supply chains are likely to be tainted by cotton picked by Uighurs that is exported across China and used by other suppliers, a coalition of organisations said in a letter.

More than 80 per cent of China’s cotton comes from Xinjiang. “Brands and retailers recognise there is a massive problem in the region, and that their supply chains are exposed to a grave risk of forced labour,” said Scott Nova, head of the US-based Worker Rights Consortium (WRC).

Buddhist Times News – Nepal to Restart Domestic and International Flight Services

By  —  Shyamal Sinha

The Nepal government has decided to resume domestic and international flight operations starting from August 17, nearly four months after they were suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The suspension of the flights came on March 22 to prevent the spread of COVID-19 pandemic in the country, reported Xinhua news agency.

During the months, only chartered flights for humanitarian purpose or delivery of medical goods were allowed.

Yogesh Bhattarai, Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation, told Xinhua on Monday evening that the decision was taken during a cabinet meeting earlier in the day. “My ministry will prepare detailed health protocols to resume the operation of the flights,” he said.

The government’s move follows the decreasing rate of COVID-19 cases in the Himalayan country in recent days.

With new 186 cases on Monday, total COVID-19 cases in Nepal reached 17,844, according to the Ministry of Health and Population. Monday’s decision was welcomed by tourism entrepreneurs.

Birendra Bahadur Basnet, managing director of Buddha Air, welcomed the government’s decision, saying that they are all prepared for “new normal flights” with all passengers, airports and crew’s safety protocols in place.

Kishor Raj Pandey, chairman of Sathi Travel Agency, told Xinhua on Monday that the move would not help lead to a significant jump in international travels but some business travels could take place.

The Covid-19 pandemic has also severely hit the domestic flight operators as their aircraft have been grounded for months and their expenses continue to rise, especially because of insurance and payment of employees salaries, despite the government deciding to waive the airport ground charges and other fees.

“We are not expecting tourists coming to Nepal at least for next 3-4 months but people associated with travel agencies abroad are willing to come to Nepal if the flight resumes,” he said. On June 10, the country relaxed the COVID-19 lockdown, allowing some economic activities to resume.