Chinese nationals protest on Ladakh border during Dalai Lama's birthday celebrations
A group of Chinese nationals protested on the eastern Ladakh border as a village on the Indian side celebrated Dalai Lama's birthday.
Vehicles with Chinese nationals dressed in civilian clothes reached close to the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh and protested against Tibetans celebrating an annual festival in the region. They displayed banners saying 'ban all activities to spilt Tibet'.
Sources said this was in reaction to a Tibetan flag being waved during the festivities in Koyul village near Demchok.
Eleven people on two vehicles were spotted. They stopped for around 40 minutes and stood across River Indus on their side of the LAC.
Demchok is an area that has seen Chinese transgressions in the past and in 2014 there was a fist fight between Indian and Chinese troops during a stand-off in Chumur, eastern Ladakh.
It appears the action did not include People's Liberation Army (PLA) personnel and there was no transgression or crossing of LAC.
Sources said they are viewing the Chinese action as an intimidating tactic.
China has been pushing to have its own successor of the Dalai Lama and pressing that any other appointment should not be given any recognition.
"There were two vehicles with people dressed in civil clothes showing the banners. We don't know whether they were PLA personnel since they were in civil clothes. Those protesting were on the Chinese side and made no attempt to cross over," said a source.
Sources added that the Chinese did not take up the matter in the official military meetings or communications.
The Tibetans on the Indian side were celebrating Dalai Lama's birthday, an annual festival by the name of Dole Tango.