China-India conflict: India’s “special border forces” behind the deaths of Tibetan soldiers-BBC News

During the ongoing Sino-Indian standoff, a Tibetan soldier from the Indian Special Forces was killed near the border conflict between the two countries, bringing the plateau’s little-known elite troops into public view.

Tenzin Nyima, 53, was reportedly killed by a landmine in a military operation on the southern shore of Lake Bangong in Ladakh.

His body was taken to the city of Choglamsar, a few kilometers from Leh, the capital of Ladakh on Tuesday (September 1). A member of the Tibetan Parliament in exile said that, according to the tradition of Tibetan Buddhism, his funeral is in preparation.

Photos at the scene showed that Tenzin Nima’s coffin was covered with a tri-colored Indian flag. A special point is that the upper part of the coffin is also covered with the traditional “Snowy Mountain Lion Tibetan flag”, which is now also used in the Tibetan independence movement.

Tenzin Nima’s family and several Indian government officials confirmed that he was affiliated with the elite “Special Border Force” (SFF) of the Indian Army. This high-altitude force is made up primarily of Tibetan refugees. In addition to Tenzing Nima, a member of the command team was also reportedly seriously injured.

The Indian military has yet to comment on this matter, but the military issued a statement on August 31 accusing the Chinese military of carrying out “provocative military activities” on the southern shore of Lake Pangong in an attempt to change the status quo. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying did not confirm the incident and said on Wednesday (September 2) that she did not know whether there were “exiled Tibetans” in the Indian army.

What is the “Special Border Force”?

Tenzin Nima’s death gave the outside world a rare glimpse of this “special border force” with little public information. This secret force was founded shortly after the outbreak of the Sino-Indian war in 1962. Reuters reported that Indian officials expect the force to exceed 3,500.

The area of ​​the plateau in northern India that borders China’s Tibet is generally above 3,000 meters above sea level, with a sparse population and adverse weather conditions. Amitabh Mathur, a former advisor for Tibet affairs to the Indian government, said the “border task force” is an “excellent force, especially in mountainous environments.”

“I would not be surprised if special forces are deployed to the border. It is reasonable to deploy them at high altitudes. They are very powerful climbers and commandos,” Mathur told Reuters.

As a secret organization, the main recruits of the “Special Border Forces” are believed to be exiled Tibetans and their descendants, and later Nepalese-speaking Gurkhas (Gurkha) were also included. Their base camp is located in Chakrata, Uttarakhaṇḍa, India, which is almost 700 kilometers from Ladakh.

According to Indian media reports, as the unit was proposed by General Sujan Singh Uban, a former Major General in the British Indian Army and artillery commander of the 22nd Mountain Regiment, the unit was originally named “Organization 22” (Establishment 22), later acquired its current name.

In fact, this task force is not part of the Indian Army, but is affiliated with the Investigation and Analysis Wing, the main foreign intelligence gathering agency in the country.

According to a report by the Hindustan Times, the Indian media outlet, the unit’s mode of operation has been kept confidential, so the military does not even know what is happening. But in general, the main tasks of the force include special investigations, surprise attacks and covert operations.

It reports directly to the Cabinet Secretariat of the executive branch of the Indian government and to the Prime Minister through the inspector general. Therefore, ordinary people cannot know many of his achievements and “heroic stories”.

The inspector general who heads this unit was reportedly selected from among the senior generals. The former Chief of Staff of the Indian Army, General Dalbir Singh, held this position during his service.

The Indian Express reported that the unit has its own rank structure, which has the same status as the army rank. But they are well-trained special forces personnel who can perform some more special and covert tasks.

In the 1970s, this force participated in the battle against Pakistan and the Bangladesh War of Independence. In the operation codenamed “Eagle”, the unit was airlifted into the combat zone, infiltrated behind enemy lines, destroyed Pakistani army communication lines and prevented Pakistani soldiers from fleeing Bangladesh to Myanmar.

China-India conflict in June 2020

The plight of Tibetans

After Tenzing Nyima was assassinated, nearly 300 Tibetan citizens protested in front of the Chinese consulate in Toronto, Canada on Wednesday (September 2) and observed a minute of silence for them. Subsequently, local Tibetans also held activities to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the founding of the assembly of the Tibetan government in exile.

In 1959, protests broke out against the CCP government in Tibet. The 14th Dalai Lama, the 23rd religious leader, led tens of thousands of Tibetans into exile to Dharamsala on the mountainside of the Himalayas in northern India.

Most of these Tibetans still live in the northern state of Himachal Pradesh, and some have reached Bylakuppe in southern India.

According to a 2009 report in the Hindustan Times, one of the first Tibetans to join the former Special Border Force recalled that in early 1963, the first group of approximately 12,000 Tibetans was brought to Chakrata. They have also been trained and assisted by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA).

There is reason to believe that in India, where the conflict with China has just erupted, the authorities want to improve their combat capabilities by recruiting these Tibetans who adapt to the local climate and understand the terrain.

China has long viewed Tibetan exiles in India as a major threat to territorial integrity. Beijing condemns these Tibetans led by the Dalai Lama as dangerous separatists, but the Dalai Lama said he only hopes that Tibet is truly autonomous.

“China’s position is very clear. We strongly oppose any country in any way to facilitate the activities of the forces of ‘Tibetan independence’ for separatism and the destruction of China,” said Hua Chunying, spokesman for the Ministry of Tibet. China’s Foreign Relations, Wednesday.

But these Tibetans in exile also seem to be facing difficulties.

The “Hindustan Times” reported that the soldiers who withdrew from this mysterious force did not receive enough recognition and rewards. Many of them only received a few thousand dollars in cash. Now some people open shops in Dharamsala or Delhi, and more people spend their last time in nursing homes.

For other Tibetans in India, the situation is not optimistic. Sonam Norbu Dagpo of the Tibetan government-in-exile stated last year that in India, Tibetans “are not allowed to do government work. Sometimes even universities do not recruit student collectors.”

He said the number of Tibetans fleeing China to India has dropped from about 3,000 a year earlier to 100 in 2018.