China on Tuesday struck a strong message on the on-going border stand-off in Sikkim, indicating it may not allow the remaining six batches of 50 Kailash Mansarovar pilgrims each through the Nathu La pass if the situation remained unresolved.
China last week denied the first batch of pilgrims on the Kailash Mansarovar yatra entry through Nathu La. The Foreign Ministry in a statement early on Tuesday said it was because of “security considerations” and “in light of” the border stand-off in the Sikkim section.
At a briefing on Tuesday, the Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lu Kang said, “Out of security considerations we have put off pilgrimages by Indian pilgrims through the Chinese pass.”
“So for the upcoming actions we have to depend on what the Indian side will do,” he said. “They have to taken actions to improve the security situation.”
While 1,080 of the total 1,430 pilgrims will go through Lipulekh in Uttarakhand – the first batch is already in Tibet – the fate of the remaining 300 Nathu La pilgrims is still uncertain.
Lu said China's government “has made enormous efforts to provide necessary convenience for Indian pilgrims”. “But recently the Indian border personnel trespassed the Chinese border to obstruct construction so we have taken necessary actions,” he said.
Lu also reiterated the statement made earlier by the Foreign Ministry, accusing India of “trespassing into the Chinese border”, and said China “lodged solemn representations in Delhi and Beijing to elaborate on the solemn position”.
“Our position to uphold territorial sovereignty is unwavering and we hope Indian side can work with China in the same direction and take immediate actions to withdraw personnel who have overstepped,” he said.
