Chepzi གྲི་ཕུ་ཆེ Dripuche, Zhipuqi | |
---|---|
Village and military post | |
Coordinates: 32°34′35″N78°36′30″E / 32.5764°N 78.6083°E Coordinates: 32°34′35″N78°36′30″E / 32.5764°N 78.6083°E | |
Country | China |
Autonomous region | Tibet |
Prefecture | Ngari |
County | Zanda |
Elevation | 5,100 m (16,700 ft) |
Time zone | UTC+8 (China Standard) |
Chepzi, also spelt Chabji [1] and Dripuche, [lower-alpha 1] (Tibetan : གྲི་ཕུ་ཆེ, Wylie : gri phu che, THL : dri pu ché) [3] is a village and military post in the Tsamda County (Zanda County) of Tibet in China, close to the border with India's Ladakh. Chepzi is close to Chumar in Ladakh's Rupshu region. There is evidence that the people of Chumar have traditionally used the farmlands in Chepzi, and the village was included in Ladakh during the times of British Raj. However, independent India excluded it from its territories in its border definition. The border has been witness to a large number of incursions by the Chinese People's Liberation Army since 2011. [4] [5]
Chepzi | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Traditional Chinese | 支 普 齊 | ||||||
Simplified Chinese | 支 普 齐 | ||||||
Hanyu Pinyin | Zhīpǔqí | ||||||
|
Chepzi is on the bank of the Pare Chu river,close to Tibet's border with Ladakh. The Pare Chu river originates in India's Himachal Pradesh,flows through Ladakh,turns southeast near Chumar to flow into what the British called the 'Tsotso district' (present day Tsosib Sumkyil Township). After flowing there for about 80 miles,Pare Chu reenters Himachal Pradesh again to join the Spiti River. The British also observed that the 'Tsotso district' was the most populous area in the basin of Pare Chu. [6]
Near Chepzi,two tributaries join Pare Chu:the Kyumsalung Panglung (or simply Panglung) stream from the east,and the Chepzilung (or simply Chepzi) stream from the west. The Chepzilung originates below the Gya Peak,a key point on the border between Spiti (Himachal Pradesh) and Tibet. [7] According to the map drawn by Frederic Drew,who worked as a geologist in the administration of Jammu and Kashmir,these two tributaries were border rivers of Ladakh. The notes to the map provided by him state that the subjects of Jammu and Kashmir grazed their cattle in the pasture-lands up to the boundary,while the subjects of Tibet did likewise on their side. [8] [9] (Map 2)
By the time of Indian independence in 1947,the Indians appear to have conceded part of the valley of Chepzilung to the Tibetans. [lower-alpha 2] When independent India defined its boundaries in 1954,it also withdrew from the Panglung river to the east of Chepzi,and set the watershed ridge as the boundary. On the Pare Chu river itself,the Indian-defined border is 5 miles south of the Ladakhi village of Chumar,which is approximately 2 miles north of Chepzi. [11] This allows the Tibetan graziers unrestricted access to both the tributary rivers of Pare Chu at Chepzi.
The combined effect of these decisions gave the appearance of a "bulge" in Indian territory near the Pare Chu river. The Indian government justified it on the grounds that the Ladakh's inhabitants had traditionally used the grazing lands along Pare Chu right up to Chepzi. [12]
The people of Chumar claim to have continued using the farmland and grazing grounds at Chepzi until the recent past. They claim that their access to these lands has been blocked by the People's Liberation Army in recent years. [13] [14] The Indian Army has said that the Chepzi grazing grounds were "beyond the Indian borders." [2] But the locals are adamant that the Army does not understand their traditional grazing systems. [15]
In the 1960 boundary talks with India,China claimed a boundary north of the Indian claim line. However it was still south of the general ridge line running across the Pare Chu valley. [16]
By 2012,China was claiming a boundary further north,representing a "bulge" of its own territory,as shown in the United States Office of the Geographer's boundary datasets. (Map 3)
Chepzi used to be the farthest duty point for the 'hill frontier defence company' in the Ari Army Division. The closest army station used to be 720 km away with 16 mountain passes along the way. Up until 2009,the Army Aviation Force of the Xinjiang Military Command used to airdrop supplies to the PLA troops at Chepzi. According to a report of Sina Military,PLA troops could not be permanently stationed there at that time. [17]
In 2011,the PLA established a border defence company in Manza,which is about 140 km away within the 'Tsotso' district. [17] A Chepzi Highway linking Chepzi to the provincial road Y706 has also been constructed. In March 2014,the Zanda Border Battalion commander Qi Fabao has been stationed in Chepzi. [17]
According to a report in Sina Military, the Indian Army constructed "fortifications" at Chumar in 2011 and it was said that the People's Liberation Army (PLA) demolished them when the Indian troops withdrew for winter. [17] Indian media stated that loose stones had been assembled into the shape of "bunkers" by the soldiers at a location near the border, some 200–300 metres into Indian territory. [lower-alpha 3] The PLA personnel arrived in helicopters and dismantled them over a period of 20–25 minutes. Indian media described the event as a "shocker". [4]
Since this time, it is said that helicopter incursions by the PLA have occurred almost every year. [19]
In April 2013, a major standoff occurred at Depsang Bulge in northern Ladakh (some 500 km to the north), where the Chinese troops intruded 19 km into Indian territory near Burtsa and pitched tents for three weeks. As a condition for their withdrawal, they demanded the dismantling of a tin shed set up by the local Indian commander at Chumar at the patrol point called "30 R", which is said to be virtually on the Line of Actual Control. India conceded the demand. [20] [21] The Chinese commentators described the tactic as "Besiege Wei to rescue Zhao". [17]
Within a few months, the PLA troops were back at the border and cut the wires for the Indian surveillance cameras at the border. [19] In December 2013, they were reported to have intruded into Indian territory again and apprehended five Indian herders along with their cattle. This was reported to have occurred 5 km inside the Indian territory. [5]
A major standoff at the Chumar border itself occurred in 2014. According to the Indian government sources, more than 200 PLA troops arrived at the border along with twelve heavy vehicles, cranes and bulldozers, trying to construct a road into the Indian territory. The Indian troops confronted them and asked them to withdraw, which resulted in as many as seven face-offs. Some 15–20 metres of temporary track laid by the Chinese troops was demolished by the Indians. The standoff escalated with more than 1000 troops arrayed on each side. The confrontation ended only after the foreign ministers of the two countries met and agreed that there would be no road-laying or fresh construction in the areas claimed by both the sides. [22]
The Sino-Indian War between China and India occurred in October–November 1962. A disputed Himalayan border was the main cause of the war. There had been a series of violent border skirmishes between the two countries after the 1959 Tibetan uprising, when India granted asylum to the Dalai Lama. India initiated a defensive Forward Policy from 1960 to hinder Chinese military patrols and logistics, in which it placed outposts along the border, including several north of the McMahon Line, the eastern portion of the Line of Actual Control proclaimed by Chinese Premier Zhou Enlai in 1959.
Aksai Chin is a region administered by China as part of Hotan County, Hotan Prefecture, Xinjiang and Rutog County, Ngari Prefecture, Tibet. It is claimed by India to be a part of its Leh District, Ladakh Union Territory. It is a part of the eastern portion of the Kashmir region and has been a subject of dispute between India and China since the late 1950s.
Pangong Tso or Pangong Lake is an endorheic lake spanning eastern Ladakh and West Tibet situated at an elevation of 4,225 m (13,862 ft). It is 134 km (83 mi) long and divided into five sublakes, called Pangong Tso, Tso Nyak, Rum Tso and Nyak Tso. Approximately 50% of the length of the overall lake lies within Tibet in China, 40% in Ladakh, India and the remaining 10% is disputed and is a de-facto buffer zone between India and China. The lake is 5 km (3.1 mi) wide at its broadest point. All together it covers almost 700 km2. During winter the lake freezes completely, despite being saline water. It has a land-locked basin separated from the Indus River basin by a small elevated ridge, but is believed to have been part of the latter in prehistoric times.
Fukche Advanced Landing Ground is an airfield in the Demchok sector of the union territory of Ladakh, India. It was built shortly before the 1962 Sino-Indian War and was revived in 2008. It is located adjacent to Koyul, 34 km northwest of Demchok.
Chushul is a village in the Leh district of Ladakh, India. It is located in the Durbuk tehsil, in the area known as "Chushul Valley", south of the Pangong Lake and west of the Spanggur Lake. The Line of Actual Control with China runs about 5 miles east of Chushul, across the Chushul Valley. Famous as site for historical battle grounds.
The 2013 Depsang standoff, also called 2013 Depsang incursion, or 2013 Daulat Beg Oldi incident, was an incursion and sit-in by a platoon-sized contingent of the Chinese PLA in the dry river bed of Raki Nala, in the Depsang Bulge area, 30 km south of Daulat Beg Oldi near the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in the disputed Aksai Chin region. Indian forces responded to the Chinese presence by quickly establishing their own encampment 300 metres (980 ft) away. Negotiations between China and India lasted nearly three weeks, during which the Chinese position was supplied by trucks and supported by helicopters. The dispute was resolved on 5 May, after which both sides withdrew. As part of the resolution, the Indian military agreed to dismantle some military structures 250 km away in the Chumar sector, which the Chinese perceived as threatening. The Chinese military in July 2014 acknowledged the incursion at the Depsang Valley in Ladakh region and said that such incidents occurred due to differing perceptions of the Line of Actual Control.
The Khurnak Fort is a ruined fort on the northern shore of the Pangong Lake that spans eastern Ladakh in India and Rutog County in the Tibet region of China. The area of the Khurnak Fort is disputed by India and China, and has been under Chinese administration since 1958.
The Galwan River flows from the disputed Aksai Chin area administered by China to the Ladakh Union Territory of India. It originates near the caravan campsite Samzungling on the eastern side of the Karakoram range and flows west to join the Shyok River. The point of confluence is 102 km south of Daulat Beg Oldi. Shyok River itself is a tributary of the Indus River, making Galwan a part of the Indus River system.
The Chip Chap River is a tributary of the Shyok River that flows from the disputed Aksai Chin region administered by China to Ladakh in India. It originates at the eastern edge of the Depsang Plains and flows west, skirting around the Depsang Plains in the north. It discharges into the Shyok River, forming one of the upstream tributaries of the Indus River.
The Spanggur Tso, also called Maindong Tso, Mendong Tso, is a saltwater lake in Rutog County in the Tibet Autonomous Region of China, close to the border with Ladakh. To the west of the lake lies the Spanggur Gap, and to the north is the Pangong Tso. The lake is at an elevation of 4305 meters, and has an area of 61.6 square kilometres. The lake's average annual temperature is around -4 to -2 ℃, and the annual precipitation is 50 to 75 mm. The western portion of the lake is claimed by India.
Chumar or Chumur is a village and the centre of nomadic grazing region located in south-eastern Ladakh, India. It is in Rupshu block, south of the Tso Moriri lake, on the bank of the Parang River, close to Ladakh's border with Tibet. Since 2012, China disputes the border in this area, though the Chumur village itself is undisputed.
Gurung Hill is a mountain near the Line of Actual Control between the Indian- and Chinese-administered portions of Ladakh near the village of Chushul and the Spanggur Lake. As of 2020, the Line of Actual Control runs on the north–south ridgeline of Gurung Hill. To the west of Gurung lies the Chushul valley and to the right of it are mountains of Kailash Range forming the basins of the Spanggur Lake and the Pangong Lake in this area.
Demchok , previously called New Demchok, and called Parigas by the Chinese, is a village and military encampment in the Indian-administered Demchok sector that is disputed between India and China. It is administered as part of the Nyoma tehsil in the Leh district of Ladakh by India, and claimed by China as part of the Tibet Autonomous Region.
The Demchok sector is a disputed area named after the villages of Demchok, Ladakh and Dêmqog, Tibet, situated near the confluence of the Charding Nullah and Indus River. It is a part of the greater Sino-Indian border dispute between China and India. Both China and India claim the disputed region, with a Line of Actual Control between the two nations situated along the Charding Nullah.
Beginning on 5 May 2020, Chinese and Indian troops engaged in aggressive melee, face-offs, and skirmishes at locations along the Sino-Indian border, including near the disputed Pangong Lake in Ladakh and the Tibet Autonomous Region, and near the border between Sikkim and the Tibet Autonomous Region. Additional clashes also took place at locations in eastern Ladakh along the Line of Actual Control (LAC).
The Parang River, also called Para River and Pare Chu is an upstream tributary of the Sutlej River, that originates in the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh and ends in Himachal Pradesh again, but flows through Ladakh and Tibet before doing so. The origin of the river is near the Parang La pass in the Spiti subdistrict. After its circuitous journey, it joins the Spiti River near Sumdo in Himachal Pradesh and the combined river then joins Sutlej.
Dumchele or Dhumtsele (Chinese: 都木契列; pinyin: Dōu mù qì liè, Tibetan: སྡུམ་མཚེས་ལེ་, Wylie: sdum mtshes le, THL: dum tsé lé) is a village and a grazing area near the Line of Actual Control between Ladakh and Tibet, administered by China since October 1962 but claimed by India. The locale is in the disputed Demchok sector, about 50 kilometers northwest from Demchok and 50 kilometers southeast of Chushul. It lies on a historic trade route between Ladakh and Rutog, with an erstwhile border pass at Chang La or Shingong La to the southeast of Dumchele.
The Depsang Bulge or Burtsa Bulge is a 900 square kilometre area of mountain terrain in the disputed Aksai Chin region, which was conceded to India by China in 1960 but remains under Chinese occupation since the 1962 Sino-Indian War. The area is immediately to the south of Depsang Plains and encloses the basin of the Burtsa Nala, a stream originating in the Aksai Chin region and flowing west to merge with the Depsang Nala near the village of Burtsa in Ladakh, eventually draining into the Shyok River. The area is perceived to be of strategic importance to both the countries, sandwiched by strategic roads linking border outposts. Since 2013, China has made attempts to push the Line of Actual Control further west into the Indian territory, threatening India's strategic road.
Gogra (also referred to as Nala Junction) is a pasture and campsite in the Ladakh union territory of India, near its disputed border with China. It is located in the Kugrang River valley, a branch valley of Chang Chenmo Valley, where the Changlung River flows into Kugrang. During the times of the British Raj, Gogra was a halting spot for travellers to Central Asia via the 'Chang Chenmo route', who proceeded through the Changlung river valley and the Aksai Chin plateau.
Tsosib Sumkyil or Churup Sumkhel is the westernmost township of the Zanda County in the Ngari Prefecture, Tibet region of China. It borders India's Spiti region in Himachal Pradesh as well as the Rupshu region of Ladakh. It is watered by the Pare Chu river, a tributary of the Spiti River and an upstream tributary of the Sutlej river. China has ongoing border disputes with India for the southern border of the township near Kaurik and the western border near Chumar.