China marks Tibet takeover with events in settlements along LAC

Ajay Banerjee

New Delhi, March 30

In an attempt to cover up the “capture” of Tibet, China held celebratory events to mark the ‘65th anniversary of democratic reform’ on their side of the Line of Actual Control (LAC).

China refers to Tibet as ‘Xizang’. It said it was celebrating the 65th anniversary of the illegal dissolution of the Tibetan government headed by the Dalai Lama on March 28, 1959. The Dalai Lama is running his administration in exile from Dharamsala.

Celebrations were held at two spots — north of Arunachal Pradesh and north of Sikkim.

Global Times, the mouthpiece of the Communist Party of China, reported the event. “Eight events were held across townships in Yadong county, located in the southern borderlands of Xigaze city and intersecting with India and Bhutan,” it said. Yan Jinhai, deputy secretary of the Communist Party of China Xizang Autonomous Regional Committee and chairman of the People’s Government of Xizang Autonomous Region, delivered a speech, which was broadcast live. “At Medog county in the south of Nyingchi, China-India border, people gathered in school playgrounds and town squares for flag-raising ceremonies and sang the national anthem,” Global Times reported. “Residents and students revisited the history of the democratic reform,” Global Times said, referring to the takeover of Tibet. Similar celebrations were held at Cona city, located north of Tawang in India. “Cona once witnessed great battles (1962 and 1967) to protect the homeland. Today, the spirit of defending the border and the land is carried forward through consolidation and development,” the Chinese media outlet said.

Border areas in focus

Efforts will be made to tilt policies, projects and funds more towards the border areas, promoting frontier prosperity to reinforce border defence and border security. — Yan Jinhai, communist party official