Chinese Claim : Bhutan's Sakteng Wildlife Sanctuary (SWS)
Background
1. China’s revisionist claims along her territorial borders are a cause of constant concern for her neighbours. One such claim surfaced in June 2020 at the 58th meet of Global Environment Facility (GEF), an international Bhutan agency funded by the UN. Bhutan had put in a request for funds for its 740 sq km large SWS in Trashigang province of Eastern Bhutan, which was objected by the Chinese council member on the grounds that SWS fell in an area that is claimed by China. Bhutan rightly objected to the outlandish claim by issuing a demarche to the Chinese embassy in New Delhi. This claim has larger ramifications for Bhutan as well as India and therefore, needs deeper scrutiny to prepare own response for the same.
Chinese Claim
2. China and Bhutan became neighbours post the Chinese annexation of Tibet in 1951. Bhutan shares a contiguous border of 470 km with China. However, the boundary has not been delimited even after 24 rounds of ministerial level boundary talks, wherein, three distinct pockets of dispute have emerged, with two in North Bhutan (Pasamlung and Jakarlung) and third in Doklam (near the tri-junction of India, Bhutan and China). However, no formal claim on Sakteng was ever made by China in these 24 rounds, except some passing references in the past. China, while staking its claim of Arunachal Pradesh in 1960, had put out a map that had included Sakteng as part of China. It was again highlighted 57 years later, during the Doklam standoff in 2017, when China released a map showing disputed areas with Bhutan that showed Sakteng as a 3,300 sq km disputed area, implying that China's claim is bigger than just the SWS.
3. As per Chinese historical claims, Sakteng Monastery was governed by Tawang, while the head priest was appointed by Dhirang Monastery. China also claims that Tawang was historically a part of Tibet and the Monpas are Tibetan tribe. China’s argument is that Tsangyang Gyatso, a Monpa, was the 6th Dalai Lama in the 17th century and therefore, the Monpas are Tibetans. China claims that Monpas used Sakteng as a route to reach present day Assam. Consequent to declaration of McMahon Line, the British expanded the claim to Sakteng and its North and since 1949, it has been under Bhutan’s control. As per Chinese claim, local officials of Tibet government and Bhutan chiefdoms signed a treaty in 1715 on use of grasslands, wherein, the Sakteng sovereignty was vested with Tawang and that the grassland could be leased to Bhutan on payment of grass tax.
Assessment of Chinese Claim
4. China is basing its Sakteng claim on a local folklore and no supporting document exists of the 1715 treaty that the Chinese quote. Monpas also vehemently deny that they are Tibetans and claim that while they may have paid taxes to Tibetan warlords intermittently in the past, they were never ruled by Tibet. Chinese claim over Tawang, based on the 6th Dalai Lama being a Monpa, is incorrect as the Buddhist scriptures mention that the 6th Dalai Lama would be found in a village outside Tibet and the name of the village would end with 'ling'. Accordingly, the 6th Dalai Lama was found outside Tibet in the village Urgelling near Tawang. Monpas also claim that they have no accounts of their forefathers ever traveling through Sakteng to reach Assam and the traditional trade route has always been through Sela Bomdila to the plains of Tezpur. It is evident that China does not have a substantial evidence to suport her claim. It is eviden from the fact that GEF had released grants to SWS in 2014-2015 and 2018-2019 for soil erosion prevention without any objection from China. Clearly, the 2020 objection is Chinese pressure tactics designed to test India-Bhutan relationship.
5. China had never claimed Sakteng as a disputed area in the 24 rounds of boundary talks, which suggests that China may have previously (1960s) contemplated pursuing this claim, however, dropped it during talks with Bhutan later, and now revived it to build pressure on Bhutan and India in the backdrop Doklam standoff. Chinese claims have implications for India as the region shares its borders with Arunachal Pradesh. It may be a new tool to coerce Bhutan for a swap deal between disputed areas in Western Bhutan (Chumbi Valley) and Eastern Bhutan to provide depth to Chumbi valley and to some extent reduce Chinese vulnerability. Chinese Sakteng claim has raised alarm among the Bhutanese leadership.
Conclusion
6. Sakteng is a serious concern for Bhutan and the claim, as outlandish as it appears at face value, has deeper connect to China's claim in other parts of Bhutan and in adjoining areas.