BBC News – India tiger killed by poachers inside Itanagar zoo

Subir Bhaumik

Calcutta, 26 September 2012. Police in India’s north-eastern state of Arunachal Pradesh are looking for a gang of poachers who entered a high-security zoo in the capital, Itanagar, and hacked a tiger to death.

Officials have ordered an investigation into the incident, which happened on Monday night.

The arrival of security guards prevented the poachers from carrying away the mutilated animal.

The poaching and smuggling of tiger body parts is common across India.

The animals are prized throughout East Asia in general and China in particular for the supposed medicinal value of their body parts.

Tiger numbers have shrunk alarmingly in India in recent decades.

A 2011 census counted about 1,700 tigers in the wild. A century ago there were estimated to be 100,000 tigers in India.

The poachers tranquilised the six-year-old tigress before entering its enclosure and cutting it into six pieces, officials at the zoo say. A post-mortem of the animal has now been carried out.

Zoo chief Zoram Dopum said that the poachers fled when three security guards who had gone for dinner returned to the area.

There have been attempts at poaching animals in the zoo before, officials say.

In February 2006, three tigers and a leopard were poisoned by unknown people. One tiger died, while the other two other animals survived.

In June 2006, 30kg (66lb) of tiger parts – mainly bones and nails – were seized from a vehicle belonging to a police officer in Assam state.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-india-19725397

The Tribune – China violated LAC 505 times since Jan 2010; Triggered by differing perceptions of disputed line

Ajay Banerjee, Tribune News Service

New Delhi, May 16. Differing perceptions of the disputed Line of Actual Control (LAC) between India and China has led to a whopping 505 transgressions by Chinese soldiers since January 2010.

Explaining ‘transgressions’, officials said India and China do not agree on the LAC, hence soldiers on either side patrol up to the point they perceive as the LAC. Soldiers on both sides show a banner asking the other party to withdraw when the LAC is crossed. Despite the underlying tension, the process of withdrawing by both sides keeps a lid on the situation along the tense frontier between the two edgy neighbours.

Today, the matter of transgressions was raised in the Rajya Sabha and the Minister of State for Home Affairs Mullappally Ramachandran said, “There have been 228 reported cases of transgression in 2010, 213 in 2011 and 64 till April this year. It was clarified, “There has been no intrusion along the India-China border. However, there are cases of transgression (by People’s Liberation Army, PLA) due to different perception of the LAC.” The word ‘intrusion’ is the official nomenclature to indicate a breach of the sanctity of the border and is different from transgression on LAC, that too on sections which are disputed.

The LAC is 4,057-km-long and traverses areas of Himalayan states, principally in Eastern Ladakh (J&K), parts of Uttarakhand, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh. Historically, there has never been a demarcated boundary. These are strategically vital portions which are contiguous with Tibet.

New Delhi takes up specific incidents of transgression with the Chinese side through established mechanisms such as hotlines, flag meetings, border personnel meetings and normal diplomatic channels.

The 15th round of Sino-Indian Special Representatives (SR)-level talks was held in New Delhi in January last. Sources said the two sides are at an advanced stage of taking a decision on a joint civil-military mechanism to maintain peace along the LAC.

Despite the transgressions, peace is maintained along the LAC following an agreement thrashed out in April 2005. India and China have worked out what is called a ‘banner drill’, which helps keep tension under check.

Whenever either side perceives that a transgression has been made across the LAC, soldiers show a 10-feet-wide banner with a slogan painted across to each other. The banner primarily cites the 2005 agreement and says there is a need to back off from the present positions of patrolling.

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2012/20120517/main6.htm

The Asian Age – China may resort to Indian territory grab, says expert report

New Delhi, 29 February 2012. China may resort to territorial grabs, including through a ‘major military offensive’, especially in Arunachal Pradesh or Ladakh in Jammu and Kashmir, and India should respond with ‘a strategy of quid pro quo’, says a report by an independent group of Indian analysts.

“Our frontiers with China have been mostly stable for some years now. However, China could assert its territorial claims (especially in the Arunachal sector or Ladakh) by the use of force,” says the report that seeks to outline a foreign and strategic policy for India in the 21st century.

“There is the possibility that China might resort to territorial grabs. The most likely areas for such bite-sized operations are those parts of the Line of Actual Control where both sides have different notions of where the LAC actually runs. These places are known,” says the report.

The report contends that India can’t ‘entirely dismiss the possibility of a major military offensive in Arunachal Pradesh or Ladakh’.

The report entitled ‘Non-Alignment 2.0: A Foreign and Strategic Policy for the 21st century’, was unveiled on Tuesday evening at a panel discussion at Hotel Ashok in which National Security Adviser Shiv Shankar Menon and his immediate predecessors M.K. Narayanan, currently West Bengal governor, and Brajesh Mishra participated.

“China will, for the foreseeable future, remain a significant foreign policy and security challenge for India. It is the one major power which impinges directly on India’s geopolitical space. As its economic and military capabilities expand, its power differential with India is likely to widen,” says the publication in a chapter entitled ‘The Asian Theatre’.

The debate on India’s options in dealing with an emerging China, among other things, has coincided with the two-day visit of Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi to India that began on Wednesday.

The report goes on to say that in case of a military offensive or territorial grab, India will need ‘a mix of defensive and offensive capabilities’ to restore the status quo ante.

“Indeed, given the fact that the combat ratio and logistical networks favour China and that the attacker will always have the advantage of tactical (if not strategic) surprise, we will need a mix of defensive and offensive capabilities to leverage the advantages the terrain offers.”

The better way of responding to limited land grabs by China, the report suggests, is for India to take similar action across the LAC: a strategy of quid pro quo. These areas should be identified and earmarked for limited offensive operations on our part, the report recommends.

In the event of a major offensive by China, the report suggests India should not resort to a strategy of proportionate response.

“Rather we should look to leverage our asymmetric capabilities to convince the Chinese to back down.”

The report recommends that India must prepare itself to trigger an insurgency in the areas occupied by Chinese forces and to develop the capability to interdict the logistics and military infrastructure in Tibet.

The report outlines other strategies to counter the Chinese offensive which includes accelerating the integration of the frontier regions and its people by speeding up and improving communication infrastructure with the mainland and to expand naval capabilities in the Indian Ocean region.

“Due to the multiplicity of the agencies involved, there is need to establish a Maritime Commission. The crucial decision we face here concerns the quantum of additional resources that we must devote to developing our maritime power.”

The report has been co-authored by a group of analysts comprising Shyam Saran, former foreign secretary and special envoy to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh; Nandan Nilekani, chairman of Unique Identity Development Authority of India; Lt General (retired) Prakash Menon, military advisor to the National Security Council Secretariat; Sunil Khilnani, professor of history at King’s College, London’s India Institute; Pratap Bhanu Mehta, president, Centre for Policy Research (CPR); Rajiv Kumar, FICCI secretary general; Srinath Raghavan, senior fellow at CPR; and Siddharth Vardarajan (Editor, The Hindu). (IANS)

http://www.asianage.com/india/china-may-resort-indian-territory-grab-says-expert-report-356

The Tribune – Tibet part of China, reiterates India

Both countries vow to put contentious issues on the backburner, step up ties

Ashok Tuteja from Beijing

India on Wednesday reassured Beijing that it considered Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR) as part of China and clarified that New Delhi does not allow ‘any force’ to use the Indian soil to carry out anti-China activities.

Against the backdrop of certain unsavoury developments in bilateral ties, the two countries also pledged to put contentious issues on the backburner and give momentum to people-to-people contacts and trade and economic relations in 2012.

Shaken by a series of self-immolations committed by Tibetan monks and nuns to protest Beijing’s policies in the recent months, top Chinese leaders are understood to have raised the Tibetan issue during meetings with visiting External Affairs Minister S M Krishna.

Addressing a press conference, Krishna confirmed that the Tibetan issue figured during the talks. He said he reiterated India’s position on TAR and told the Chinese leaders that New Delhi was dealing with the internal affairs of China accordingly.

”Hence, we have to be very cautious (on the Tibetan issue) and any help we can render, we are too willing to provide it. But I don’t think that situation will arise.”

A press release issued by the Chinese Government said Beijing appreciated the firm support of New Delhi over the Tibetan issue.

China believes that exiled Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama has been fuelling revival of the Tibetan movement from his abode in Dharamshala and has often in the past drawn India’s attention towards its concern.

Asked if increasing Chinese activities in Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK) figured during his talks, the minister said the issue has generally been raised by India with the Chinese. India, he said, has already conveyed to Beijing in unequivocal terms that Pakistan was illegally occupying certain territories of Jammu and Kashmir.

Krishna, who was here primarily to formally inaugurate the new building of the Indian Embassy, held meetings, among others, with Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi, State Councillor Dai Bingguo (who is China’s Special Representative for boundary talks with India) and Zhou Yongkang, who is a powerful member of the Standing Committee of the Communist Party of China and deals with the security related issues.

The meeting between Krishna and his Chinese counterpart particularly was cordial. ”Warm welcome to Beijing, I am glad to see you,” Yang said as he received the Indian minister with a warm handshake. Krishna reciprocated the gesture, saying ”even though the temperature outside is cold, the kind of warmth and goodwill I have received is heart warming.”

Yang announced that Chinese President Hu Jintao would visit India in March end for the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) Summit to be hosted by New Delhi. The Chinese minister might himself visit New Delhi prior to his President’s visit.

Underlining the importance of trade relations between the two countries, Yang said the two-way trade has already reached $ 74 billion and the two countries were poised to achieve the target of $ 100 billion by 2015. Krishna said steps must be taken to reduce the yawning gap in two-way trade.

He also told Yang that while the two countries should work to resolve outstanding issues, they should not be allowed to adversely affect ties in other areas.

He said representatives under the border mechanism set up by the two countries would meet at an early date. Asked if China raised the status of Arunachal Pradesh during today’s talks, he skirted the issue, saying Special Representatives of the two countries were dealing with the border dispute. ”We should better leave the boundary issue to the Special Representatives who have been mandated to come to an agreement.” The two countries decided to celebrate 2012 as the ‘Year of India-China Friendship and Cooperation.”

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2012/20120209/main1.htm