Chinese diplomats visit Sikkim to expedite release of Chinese national in custody here

GANGTOK, 21 Nov: Three Chinese diplomats were in Gangtok recently to expedite the release of fellow Chinese citizen languishing in the State Jail at Rongyek here. It is now learnt, and verified, that the sole purpose of their visit was to arrange for the release of the trader from Tibetan Autonomous Region taken into custody at Sherathang trade mart and now facing trial on espionage charges in Sikkim. The matter is now in the Courts. Media reports coming out of New Delhi had suggested that the diplomatic delegation was in Sikkim to reaffirm China’s acceptance of Sikkim’s status as an Indian state. This was obviously not why the delegation was here.
During their daylong visit to Gangtok on 19 November, the diplomats visited the state jail and met with Langki Jiancen, the 20-year-old who is in custody under the Official Secrets Act for having allegedly taken photographs of restricted areas at the border while travelling in these parts as a trader engaged in border trade.
In fact, what prompted the diplomats, who had arrived from the Chinese Embassy in New Delhi, was the report suggesting that Mr. Jiancen had opted not to be pushed back to China. When produced before the courts at Gangtok in late October he had been further remanded to judicial custody for a period of 2 months.
Interestingly, the accused had reportedly made known that he was not in favour of being deported or pushed back into China.
The refusal to be pushed back, as reported, must probably stem from the unpleasant prospect of being grilled for days on end by Chinese authorities on the other side once he is pushed back into Tibet. While the court is yet to give its final order it is being speculated that the plan of the Chinese national is to be ‘handed over’ to one of the Tibetan associations in the state for ‘deportation’ via Rangpo and eventually end up in Dharamsala.
The Chinese delegation from the Embassy are required to check in on their citizens caught in situations as Mr. Jiancen finds himself in, assure his return and more importantly report back to Beijing on the status as well as the efforts put in by them to secure their citizen. The three-member delegation included Minister Counsellor Fan Fei; Second Secretary, Hao Jian and Second Secretary, Jian Zhen.

Chinese national booked for spying, under judicial custody for another 2 months

GANGTOK, 04 Nov: Liangki Jiancen, the 20-year-old Chinese national who had been arrested by the police up at Nathula border on charges of spying has been remanded to judicial custody for a period of 2 months.
He was produced before the courts in Gangtok last week when the order was issued.
Interestingly, unconfirmed reports suggest that the Chinese National refused the option to be deported or pushed back into Tibetan Autonomous Region of China. Although he was found to have been taking photographs of certain infrastructure and locations along the border as he entered Sikkim as part of a border trade group from Tibet the espionage accused, surprisingly, does not seem too keen to return home.
Liangki, a resident of Shigatse, a city in the Tibetan Autonomous Region was intercepted by the Indo Tibetan Border Police, the paramilitary agency manning the border in the Nathula region, after he was caught taking photographs of the restricted area on his mobile phone from his vehicle. The mobile phone was seized and Liangki was charged under the Official Secrets Act.
Initially he was remanded for a period of 15 days but this has now been extended to 2 months. The refusal to be pushed back, as reported, could stem from the unpleasant prospect of being grilled for days on end by Chinese authorities on the other side once he is pushed back into China.
While the court will give its final order later, it is being speculated that the plan of the Chinese national is to be ‘handed over’ to one of the Tibetan Associations in the state for ‘deportation’ via Rangpo and eventually end up in Dharamsala. A couple of months ago, another Tibetan, Karma Gelek who was released from the state prison, also found his way to Dharamsala in the same fashion it is informed.
Liangki’s arrest had created some tension up at the border region with the Chinese authorities demanding his immediate release and trade had actually shut down for a week.

Chinese recommend amiable monitoring instead of paranoid patrolling

CHINESE AUTHORITIES SHUT DOWN BORDER TRADE IN RESPONSE TO ARREST
GANGTOK, 12 Oct: Chinese authorities are viewing the arrest of one of their citizens by the Sikkim police rather seriously. In retaliation to the arrest the Chinese have shut down the border trade till further notice. They are also underlining that border trade is as much about dealing in goods as it is about allowing some basic courtesies to replace border paranoia. In this regard, they have invited the Indian authorities to consider how their counterparts in Tibet Autonomous Region attended to traders from Sikkim who had lost their way inside Tibet and proceeded beyond the trade mart. While they would have definitely been accused of ‘infiltration’ by ITBP and taken into custody, in TAR they were provided tea and snacks and escorted back to the border.
In Sikkim by contrast, a trader from Tibet was taken into custody on Wednesday and booked on charges of espionage for having taken photographs with his mobile phone even after being told not to by ITBP personnel.
In fact, so much umbrage has been taken that the Chinese Trade Officer, [known to traders here as Li Peng], reportedly came up to the Nathula border and demanded the release of the Chinese national, Langki Jiancen immediately by the Indian agencies. The Chinese Trade Officer is normally stationed at Rinchenquanng, the trade mart on the Tibetan side of the border.
She also reportedly reminded the Indian agencies of how the Chinese police had let go of two Sikkimese a few days ago after they had crossed well into the Tibetan Autonomous Region. As per reports two youth from West Sikkim had gone across to China after acquiring a trade pass and had missed Rinchenquanng and had reached another small town on the other side.
The Chinese police there had immediately apprehended them and after questioning let them go that day itself. They had even arranged for tea and snacks for the ‘runaways’.
The Chinese Trade Officer reminded the Indian agencies of this and demanded the release of the Chinese national as a quid pro quo. Till he is released, as the Chinese Trade Officer has stated, the gates of Nathula will remain shut.
On the other hand here the relatives of Langki, who has been charged for espionage under the Official Secrets Act, are preparing to approach the court for bail.

Trader from Tibet arrested on charges of espionage at Nathula border

BORDER TRADE SUSPENDED, UNLIKELY TO RESUME EVEN BY NEXT WEEK
GANGTOK, 11 Oct: Already handicapped by a lethargic bureaucracy, stifling regulations and poor infrastructure, Border Trade between India and China over Nathula has added another ingredient to the mix of issues holding it back – espionage. Tensions have escalated at the border trade region of Nathula here after a Chinese national was apprehended by authorities on charges of espionage yesterday. Even as the incident has triggered hectic backdoor diplomacy between the various agencies of the central government, trading was suspended today over the incident.
In fact, the Chinese authorities, sources inform, have put border trade on the mat saying that they will not allow trade to take place till the arrested person is released and returned.
With the espionage accused having been sent to judicial remand of up to 15 days today, it is unlikely that he can be handed over or released before that time period. In the meantime trade is likely to remain closed even next week with Indian traders unlikely to try their luck the other side of the border even if Chinese immigration allows them through.
There was murmuring among the border traders today that it was unlikely that trade will resume next week either, and if the Chinese maintain their attitude it is going to require some tough talk and diplomacy, if the Indians are capable of it.
A Chinese national, Langki Jiancan, a 20-year-old resident of Shigatse, a city in the Tibetan Autonomous Region was reportedly “intercepted” by the Indo Tibetan Border Police, the paramilitary agency manning the border with TAR, after he was caught taking photographs of a “restricted area” on his mobile phone.
In fact it is informed that on crossing the border at Nathula and while on route to the Sherathang Trade mart which is a couple of kilometers away, he started taking photographs. This is a highly restricted zone and heavily manned by the ITBP. Sources also inform that he was at first warned not to take pictures but as he continued to do so he was then picked up by the ITBP and subsequently handed over to the Sherathang police.
It may be stated here that the person has a valid trade pass and moreover, has relatives on this side of the border, that is, in Sikkim. It is informed that he had come to meet one of his relatives here at the mart site. The FIR, at the Sherathang police station, was filed by the ITBP, Assistant Commandant.
The accused was today produced before the Magistrate, Gangtok courts where the police obtained a remand of 15 days. Langki has been sent up to judicial custody.
His mobile phone has been seized and he has been charged under section 3 (b) of the Official Secrets Act. This section of the Act deals with penalties for spying which says a person is liable if he makes any sketch, plan, model, or note which is calculated to be or might be or is intended to be, directly or indirectly useful to an enemy. Punishment can extend to 14 years imprisonment if the act is committed in relation to any defence establishment or 3 years in any other case.
The trade season had started on a bad note and with just a month and a half to go before it shuts for the year and with this incident it looks like it will end the same way.