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China views Kashmir as a major dispute

While Pakistan has been calling for the international community to help resolve the 62-year-old Kashmir dispute as per the wishes of the Kashmiri people, according to the United Nations resolutions, India has continued with its claims that Kashmir is an integral part of its nation

Laura Schuurmans (The Jakarta Post)
Beijing
Fri, February 5, 2010

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China views Kashmir as a major dispute

W

hile Pakistan has been calling for the international community to help resolve the 62-year-old Kashmir dispute as per the wishes of the Kashmiri people, according to the United Nations resolutions, India has continued with its claims that Kashmir is an integral part of its nation.
The world generally sees Kashmir as a land dispute between India and Pakistan. However, based on historical facts China is also a part of this complex issue to which a solution is essential for lasting peace in the region.
China has been taking a different stance than India and views Kashmir as a separate entity and not an integral part of India.
The Indian media has reported in the past that China has been publishing tourist maps depicting Kashmir as a separate entity.
Moreover, the Chinese consular department has been issuing visas to Kashmiris living in Indian-held Kashmir on a separate sheet of paper and not stamped in their passport claiming since Kashmir is a disputed region the Kashmiris are not considered Indian citizens and therefore should not be granted a visa on their Indian passport.
In November last year the Chinese authorities reiterated that they would continue issuing visas on a separate sheet as they believed that a solution to the Kashmir dispute  was essential and should be solved through dialogue instead of continuing to idle.
Twenty percent of the disputed Kashmir region is under Chinese administration but claimed by India. In 1962 this border dispute triggered the Sino-Indian war after China had constructed a highway through Aksai Chin, which the Indians only discovered after it was depicted on Chinese maps. Historically Aksai Chin was part of the Himalayan Kingdom of Ladakh until it was annexed to the Princely State of Kashmir in the nineteenth century.
The Chinese never accepted the boundary between China and Kashmir that was negotiated by the British following the partition of India and Pakistan in 1947 and have continued to lay their claims on Aksai Chin.
Despite India’s claims to move to a solution of the Kashmir dispute it appears to prefer a status quo
India also fears that a solution to Kashmir may jeopardize India’s integrity where dozens of separatist movements have been active throughout the country for decades. Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has declared that the Maoist movement is presently the gravest threat to India’s internal security.
Indonesia had similar fears when East-Timorese voted for independence in August 1999 that this could trigger a domino effect for other separatist movements that have been active since they gained independence from the Dutch in 1945 but in fact Indonesia was able to solve most of its problems, with peace and stability returning to Aceh.
Regretfully the international community generally ignores the Kashmir dispute. Instead they tend to bow to the demands of India, which is a growing world economic power where many western companies have their interests.
And the international community is not really interested listening to Pakistan’s or Chinese demands to seek a solution to the Kashmir dispute.
Kashmir is a problem with global dimensions. Kashmir is home to some of the hardcore militant groups.
On top of the danger of these militant groups, three nuclear giants that have some of the worlds’ largest armies have come together in Kashmir where each country lays its claim and has its stakes.
Despite India’s and Pakistan’s statements to move toward a solution to the Kashmir dispute, no major steps have been taken and nothing concrete has actually been happening.
China on the other hand has increasingly been gaining more influence throughout the world. It also has a long history of some of the world’s longest lasting empires with vast experiences of diplomacy. Perhaps China may be of help to move one important step ahead.


The writer is a freelance writer based in Jakarta.

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