NEW DELHI: Indian Army Chief General Bipin Rawat, Foreign Secretary VijayGokhale and National Security Adviser Ajit Doval made a secret visit toBhutan in early February where they held extensive talks with the Bhutaneseleadership on several key and strategic issues.
India is worried after an intelligence report warned that China’s People’sLiberation Army (PLA) has been patrolling the areas which are held by theRoyal Bhutan Army, say sources.
Besides intrusive patrolling, the PLA is also believed to have held armedpatrol in the areas held by Royal Bhutan Army at Lhariong, Sarithang,Sinchulumpa and Pangka La. The PLA is actively conducting reconnaissancesorties by fighter jets and helicopters over these areas and also in NorthDoklam.
The PLA is consolidating its force in Doklam, where India and China wereengaged in a 73-day-long standoff from June 16, 2017 after the Indian sidestopped construction of a road at the disputed Doklam tri-junction by theChinese army.
In conjunction with the field defences constructed in North Doklam, the PLAhas erected nearly 25 small to medium size tents alongside opencommunication trenches in the area of Doka La Spur. A PLA observation postwith China flag has also been seen in the area.
In the secret meeting held between the Indian and Bhutanese leadership, thesituation in Doklam and Chinese forces building defence infrastructurearound the plateau were discussed. The two sides are believed to have alsoreviewed bilateral security and defence cooperation with a focus on China’sincreasing military posturing and infrastructure development around theDoklam plateau.
The focus of the meeting was also on how to further strengthen defence andsecurity cooperation between the two countries.
The visit by General Rawat, Doval and Gokhale was the first by top Indianofficials from India to Bhutan after the Doklam standoff, and was keptunder wraps by the Bhutanese and Indian sides. It comes days after PrimeMinister Narendra Modi held talks with his Bhutanese counterpart TsheringTobgay on the sidelines of an investors’ summit in Guwahati.
The Bhutanese side reportedly apprised the Indians of the status ofboundary talks between Bhutan and China and emphasised that Thimphu wantspeace in the Doklam tri-junction.
China and Bhutan are engaged in talks over the resolution of the Doklamdispute in the area. India has argued that it has a say in the issue,especially in the backdrop of a 2012 agreement between specialrepresentatives of the two countries, that have till now held 20 rounds oftalks.
Bhutan has no diplomatic ties with China. As a close friend and neighbour,Bhutan enjoys diplomatic and military support from India.
This was General Rawat’s second visit to Bhutan in the last nine months. Hehas been calling for adequate focus by India on its nearly 4,000 km-longborder with China. Last month, he had said the time had come for thecountry to shift its focus from the western to the northern frontier.
The Indian Army has also been strengthening the presence of its troops incertain key sectors along the Sino-India border besides enhancing borderinfrastructure. Rawat had visited Bhutan in April last year, while the thenForeign Secretary S Jaishankar had travelled there in October last. InNovember last, Bhutanese King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck had visitedIndia.