Newsletter 20 July

News in Box

Indian Standoff continues and even in all headlines. However, entering of US in game, pressure also building up over China on various fronts. Good news is also not for China from Taiwan, Japan, UK and Australia. In fact India is at the furculum for China-US cold war? However, domestic media is busy in domestic politics only.

Headlines of the Week

Sino-Indian Standoff : US aircraft carriers return to South China Sea amid rising tensions
Captured Sikh community leader Nidan Singh Sachdeva released in Afghanistan
UK Parliamentary Group Got Money For PoK Trip

Sino-Indian Standoff

Important Developments so far last Week

US Rejects All Major China Claims in South China Sea
China fury: World on alert after China vows devastating revenge on US sanctions
Record 15-hour marathon talks between India-China for second phase of disengagement along LAC conclude. Indian Army Came before media a day letter after Meeting Concluded
India has been a great partner of America, says US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo
Armed forces get powers to fast-track capital procurements worth Rs 300 crore
Indian forces to acquire Heron drones, Spike anti-tank guided missiles from Israel
Rajnath Singh Reached Leh on 2 Day Visit To Ladakh, JK; Will Visit Forward Areas Along LAC, LOC
Taiwan thwarts China ‘invasion’ in live-fire drill

A few weeks back, I read a report about Chinese Communist Party forcing mass abortions & sterilization on Chinese Muslims in Western China. These are some of the most gross human rights violations we have seen & I have referred to it as stain of the century. Today, the Chinese Communist Party is crushing freedom in Hong Kong, is threatening a free Taiwan, is trying to dominate the world communications networks: United States Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Fri.

US aircraft carriers return to South China Sea amid rising tensions

Amid increasing tension between India & China, US aircraft carrier USS Nimitz reached Andaman & Nicobar island with 90 fighter jets & 3000 marines after finishing maneuvers in the South China Sea. Currently The Indian Navy is already conducting maneuvers in the Andman.

For the second time in two weeks, the US has deployed two aircraft carriers to the South China Sea, the US Navy said on Friday, as China and the United States accuse each other of stoking tensions in the region. The USS Nimitz and USS Ronald Reagan carried out operations and military exercises in the contested waterway between July 4 and July 6, and returned to the region on Friday, according to a US Navy statement.

“Nimitz and Reagan Carrier Strike Groups are operating in the South China Sea, wherever international law allows, to reinforce our commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific, a rules based international order, and to our allies and partners in the region,” Rear Admiral Jim Kirk, commander of the Nimitz, said in the statement.

The presence of the carriers was not in response to political or world events, the statement added, but relations between Washington and Beijing are currently strained over everything from the new coronavirus to trade to Hong Kong.

Indian Government Sources: Chinese Companies with links to People’s Liberation Army (Chinese Army) Operating in India.

It was the Galwan incursion that was serious one because of its proximity to a key highway of ours. But there seems to be no agreement yet on two other important areas, in Depsang and Pangong Tso. And beyond disengagement there as well is the task of persuading China to permanently settle the differences over the LAC. In other words, delimit a line acceptable to both sides in detailed maps. Since this task has yet to be accomplished, we should continue to pursue a mix of policies using military, diplomatic or economic tools to push the Chinese to act on the issue.

The Indian Navy ships in this exercise:

1 x Rajput class destroyer
2 Shivalik class frigates
1 x Kamorta class ASW corvette

Indonesia To Conduct Exercises In South China Sea Amid China’s Expansion Tactics

Amid China’s growing interest in the South China Sea, Indonesia has finally reportedly decided to conduct exercises in the vicinity of the Riau Islands.
Indonesia has reportedly decided to conduct exercises in the vicinity of the Riau Islands.
Through the years, China has claimed large sections of the water and has even assembled arms at several territories over disputed islands in the region.
In recent years, there has been a spike in incursions led by China into the 200-mile exclusive economic zone surrounding the Natunas group of islands.
But now Indonesia has reportedly attempted to strengthen its grounds.
Reports stating Indonesia conducting exercises came just days after India took an affirmative and said the South China Sea is a “part of global commons” and noted that the nation stands for freedom of navigation and overflight in waterways.

It was when Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Anurag Srivastava was asked about US’ moves did he say that India has articulated its stance on the South China Sea on several instances and most recently was on May 21, this year.

How did the Tibetan Plateau’s Ngaba County become the center of self-immolations against Chinese rule? An absorbing new book examines this question by bringing out the horrific ravages of the communists’ neocolonial rule. The Tibetan way of life has been systematically destroyed. Brahma Chellaney

Z-Morh Tunnel to be completed by June, 2021, Zoji-La Tunnel by June, 2026: Govt

Efforts to ensure round-the-year connectivity to Sonamarg, Ladakh

The Chief Secretary, B V R Subrahmanyam today chaired a meeting of National Highway Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL), to review progress of various road projects being undertaken by them in Jammu & Kashmir.
Managing Director, NHIDCL, Administrative Secretaries, of departments of Revenue, Power Development, Public Works (R&B), Divisional Commissioners of Jammu and Kashmir, Managing Director, Jammu Power Distribution Corporation Limited, Deputy Commissioners of Jammu, Udhampur, Anantnag, Ganderbal and Baramulla among others participated in the meeting.
During the meeting, it was given out that Z-Morh tunnel project comprises 6.5 Km tunnel, 6 Km approach road, 2 major bridges and 1 minor bridge. The project worth Rs. 2379 crores is expected to be completed by 30th June, 2021 and will provide round-the-year connectivity to Sonamarg.

Simultaneously, the works under Zoji-La project are also being taken up. It was mentioned that the project comprehensively includes 14.15 Km tunnel and 18 Km approach road between Z-Morh and Zoji-La tunnel as a single integrated package, besides, comprising carriage way, 2 snow galleries, 4 major bridges and 18 avalanche protection dams. The project will cost Rs. 4430 crores and is expected to be operational by June, 2026, which will enable round-the-year connectivity to Ladakh.

Miscellaneous

Brigadier Ajay Katoch, Sector Commander, Indian Army on the Shopian encounter in Amshipora in which 3 newly recruited terrorists were killed in a joint operation by Indian Army, J&K Police and the CRPF. No collateral damage has been reported. Some fake tweets doing rounds. J&K Police successfully prevented Stone palters from interfering in the Anti-Terror Operation in Shopian of South Kashmir. 1-2 terrorists also managed to escape. Dead bodies of terrorists and ammunition handed over to J&L Police as per Standard Operating Procedure.
One Indian Army jawan lost his life near the Line of Control in Kargil sector, when he accidentally stepped on an old unexploded explosive device: Indian Army officials
India’s cybersecurity nodal agency CERT-In has issued a notice to Twitter asking the micro-blogging platform for full details of the recent global hack targeting high-profile users, as it sought complete information on number of Indian users affected as well as impact on data, a source said.
The source privy to the development told PTI that CERT-In has also asked Twitter for information on number of users from India who have visited the malicious tweets and links, and whether the affected users have been informed by the platform about unauthorized access to their Twitter accounts.
The government has also demanded information of vulnerability exploited by attackers and modus operandi of the attack and sought details of remedial actions taken by Twitter to mitigate the impact of the hacking incident.

An Army jawan and three others have been arrested in connection with the illegal arms & drug smuggling racket busted last week with the arrest of a BSF personnel & three others. Eight people have been arrested in this case so far: Punjab Police (ANI). The BSF personnel has been arrested from Kathua JnK last week.

Captured Sikh community leader Nidan Singh Sachdeva released in Afghanistan

Sachdeva, a leader of the Hindu and Sikh Community of Afghanistan, was kidnapped in Chamkani district of Paktia province on 22 June.

“We convey our appreciation to the government of Afghanistan and tribal elders from the area, whose efforts secured the return of Nidan Singh,” MEA said.

In a statement, the MEA said the “targeting and persecution” of minority community members by terrorists at the behest of their external supporters remains a matter of grave concern.

“In a recent decision, India has decided to facilitate the return of Afghan Hindu and Sikh community members facing security threats in Afghanistan to India,” it said.

International

UK Parliamentary Group Got Money For PoK Trip

The register of all party parliamentary groups reveal that “All Party Parliamentary Group on Kashmir” (APPGK), which is chaired by Labor MP Debbie Abrahams, received a benefit of between 29.7 lakh PKR and 31.2 lakh PKR on February 18 from the Pakistan government for a visit to PoK between February 18-22

It has been revealed that a UK parliamentary group, whose aim is to highlight alleged human rights violations in Kashmir, received 30 lakh PKR ($17,917) from Islamabad for a visit to Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK).
The register of all party parliamentary groups reveal that “All Party Parliamentary Group on Kashmir” (APPGK), which is chaired by Labour MP Debbie Abrahams, received a benefit of between 29.7 lakh PKR and 31.2 lakh PKR on February 18 from the Pakistan government for a visit to PoK between February 18-22.
Parliamentary groups are bound to declare benefits and money received worth more than 1,500 pounds on the parliamentary register.
Abrahams was deported to Dubai on February 17 after being informed at Delhi Airport that her e-visa was not valid.
The following day she flew to Pakistan and met Prime Minister Imran Khan, all funded by Islamabad.
The APPGK, which is made up of cross party British parliamentarians some of Pakistani heritage, aims at supporting the right to self-determination of Kashmiris; to seek support from UK MPs; to highlight the human rights abuses in Kashmir and to seek justice for people there.
This is not the first time APPGK has received funds from Pakistan.
On September 17, 2018, the Pakistan High Commission in London gave around 12,000 pounds to the group to fund a visit to Islamabad and Kashmir between September 17-20 that year.
Abrahams has been highly critical of the Indian government’s move to revoke Jammu and Kashmir’s special status, granted under the Article 370 of the Indian Constitution.
On August 5, 2019, she wrote to India’s then High Commissioner in London, Ruchi Ganshyam, and expressing serious concern about the removal of Kashmir’s special status.

The same day, she wrote to the UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab saying the Indian actions in Kashmir violated international law and requested the UK to call for a temporary prohibition on New Delhi’s moves.

Nation Amid COVID-19

Community transmission of COVID-19 recorded in a few areas in West Bengal: Home Secretary Alapan Bandyopadhyay
Delhi records 954 fresh coronavirus cases, taking tally to 1,23,747; death toll mounts to 3,663: Authorities

https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1639468