1 TRANSLATION OF THE PROCEEDINGS AND ... - APFA News

Since there is a long, undemarcated border between Bhutan and China, they
requested the Royal Government to make every effort to arrive at a fruitful
outcome of the boundary negotiations. The people of four of the five Geogs in
Haa depend on their yak herds for their livelihood. They submitted that Tibetan
herders have been demanding payment from them in cash or kind for grazing
their yaks on the pastures which have always belonged to the Haaps from the
times of their forefathers.
The people of Bardo Geog in Zhemgang Dzongkhag expressed concern that
after many rounds of boundary talks held between Bhutan and China, the
negotiations had still not reached a conclusion. With the northern boundary still
undermarcated and the ULFA–Bodo problem unresolved in the south, the
people of Khengrig Namsum are deeply concerned about the security and well-
being of the country. They requested for a briefing on the boundary talks and
called on the Royal Government to continue the negotiations with China and
finalize the border demarcation as soon as possible, keeping in mind both the
present and future well-being and security of the country.
The Home Secretary reported that 14 rounds of border talks had been held with
China since the first round began in 1984. While holding the talks, the
successive negotiating teams had always kept in mind the national interest, the
directives of the Royal Government and the decisions of the National Assembly.
The progress of the talks till the 13 th round had been reported in the previous
National Assembly sessions. One of the notable achievements of the boundary
negotiations was the signing of the Interim Agreement on the Maintenance of
Peace and Tranquility along the Bhutan-China border during the 12 th round held
in Beijing in December 1998. After the 77 th Session of the National Assembly,
the 14 th round was also held in Beijing in November 2000.
Initially, when the border talks commenced, there were several problems along
the Bhutan-China border starting from Gyemochen and extending to Me La. As
of date, the disputed territory has been reduced to about three areas. Last year,
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