Thimphu: A leading satellite imagery expert has tweeted a series of new satellite images, showing purported construction of Chinese villages in Bhutanese territory over the last year. Multiple new villages are seen spreading through an area roughly 100 square km.
The disputed land lies near the Doklam plateau where India and China had a faceoff in 2017, after which China bypassed Indian defences to resume road construction activity in the region, the original point of contention between New Delhi and Beijing.
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It is a worrying scenario for India which is already witnessing intrusion of the Chinese in the Northeast region. This latest development of China grabbing land inside Bhutanese territory is actually worrisome for India which for long has been advising Bhutan on its External Relations policy and continues to train its armed forces. Bhutan has faced constant Chinese pressure to renegotiate its land boundaries – the contours of this agreement have never been entirely spelled out and it remains to be seen if the construction of these new villages on its soil is a part of this agreement.
The tweet by @detresfa --- a global researcher with The Intel Lab, which features deep analysis by geopolitical intelligence experts -- read:
“Disputed land between #Bhutan & #China near Doklam shows construction activity between 2020-21 multiple new villages spread through an area roughly 100 sq km now dot on the landscape, is this part of a new agreement or enforcement of #China’s territorial claims ?”
The villages inside the Bhutanese territory has been allegedly constructed over a period of 1 year beginning May 2020 till date.
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