copenlu/druid huggingface dataset:
Claim: Depsang Plains is a territory of Republic of China (Depsang Plains, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (2017-08-09): On June 16, China started building a road in the Doklam area in the Himalayas in territory claimed by China and Bhutan, near the border with India. Two days later, on Bhutan’s behalf, Indian troops crossed a settled boundary to stop China’s construction. Around 300 troops from India and China have been facing off since, in one of the most serious border standoffs between the two Asian powers in decades. China has demanded that Indian troops withdraw first, while India has called for simultaneous withdrawal. With their armies facing off, each country has unleashed diverging narratives about what is going on in Doklam. [...] In recent years, India and China have had two major standoffs. The first on the Depsang Plains in April 2013, where instead of patrolling a disputed area, the Chinese changed their behavior and established a camp at a key location that would have prevented Indian patrols from moving in the area. In 2014, the problem was in the Chumur area of Ladakh, and it occurred, significantly, during the visit of Chinese President Xi Jinping to New Delhi. Both were terminated through diplomacy.
Claim: Depsang Plains is a territory of Republic of China (Depsang Plains, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (2024-01-24): Long-standing border disputes that led to a Sino–Indian war in 1962 have again become a flashpoint in recent years. In April 2013, the most serious border incident between India and China in more than two decades occurred when Chinese troops settled for three weeks several miles inside northern Indian territory on the Depsang Plains in Ladakh. A visit to India by Chinese President Xi Jinping in September 2014 was overshadowed by another flare-up in border tensions when hundreds of Chinese PLA forces reportedly set up camps in the mountainous regions of Ladakh, prompting Indian forces to deploy to forward positions in the region. This border standoff lasted three weeks until both sides agreed to pull their troops back to previous positions.
Claim: Depsang Plains is a territory of India (Depsang Plains, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (2024-04-04): The Depsang Plains, a high-altitude gravelly plain in the northwest portion of the disputed Aksai Chin region of Kashmir, divided into Indian and Chinese administered portions by a Line of Actual Control.[2][3] India controls the western portion of the plains as part of Ladakh, while the eastern portion is controlled by China and claimed by India.[4] The Line of Control with Pakistan-administered Gilgit-Baltistan is 80 kilometres (50 mi) west of the Depsang Plains, with the Siachen Glacier in-between.[5] Ladakh's traditional trade route to Central Asia passed through the Depsang Plains, with the Karakoram Pass lying directly to its north. The Depsang plains are also part of the area called Sub-Sector North (SSN) by the Indian military.[6] The area sees frequent tension between China and India. Major standoffs between the two countries occurred in 2013, 2015 and 2020. [...] Geography [edit]The Depsang plains are located in the north-western Aksai Chin.[9] They are bounded on the north by the valley of the Chip Chap River and on the west by the Shyok River. On the east, they are bounded by low hills of the Lak Tsung range, which separate them from the basin of the Karakash River. In the south, the Depsang Plains proper end at the Depsang La pass, but in common parlance, the Depsang region is taken to include the mountainous region to the south of it, including the "Depsang Bulge". The latter is a bulge in theoretical Indian territory, housing the upper course of the Burtsa Nala.
Claim: Depsang Plains is a territory of India (Depsang Plains, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (2020-08-08): The Depsang Plains along with Pangong Tso are the two major areas of concern in the ongoing standoff along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh. [...] The Chinese ingress in this area threatens Indian positions at Burtse and Raki Nala well inside Indian territory and further DBO by bringing Chinese troops closer to the 255 km long crucial Darbuk-Skyok-DBO road. Depsang is also close to the Karakoram Pass, overlooking the very strategic Saltoro Ridge and Siachen glacier. Depsang is one of the few places on the LAC where tank manoeuvres are possible. During the 1962 war Chinese troops had occupied Depsang Plains and in 2013 Chinese troops came 19 kms inside and pitched tents resulting in a 21 day standoff.
Claim: Depsang Plains is a territory of India (Depsang Plains, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (2023-06-04): Demchok is one of the two mutually agreed disputed areas in Eastern Ladakh, while Depsang is another friction point. In Demchok while there are varying claims in the Charding La area, China has set up tents on this side of Charding nala. The crucial Sub-Sector North (SSN) consists of the Depsang plains and Daulat Beg Oldie (DBO). Currently, the airfield at DBO is accessible by the 255 km-long Darbuk-Shyok-DBO (DSDBO) road. A plan for an alternate axis across Saser La which has an ancient trade route, is in the works. In Depsang Plains, Chinese troops have been blocking Indian Army patrols from going up to the PPs 10, 11, 11A, 12 and 13, beyond the Y junction. Chinese build-up in this area threatens Indian positions at DBO and also brings Chinese troops closer to the DSDBO road. Depsang is also close to the Karakoram pass overlooking the strategic Saltoro ridge and Siachen glacier, the world’s highest battlefield. As reported by The Hindu earlier, senior officials have stated that the Indian Army last accessed the patrolling points in Depsang in January/February 2020.
Claim: Depsang Plains is a territory of India (Depsang Plains, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (2024-09-18): For Prelims: Line of Actual Control (LAC), Depsang Plains, Galwan Valley, Pangong Tso, BRICS, Siachen Glacier, Aksai Chin, Darbuk-Shyok-DBO Road, G20. [...] - However, Demchok and Depsang plains have seen no progress towards their resolution in the past two years. [...] - Depsang Plains: The Depsang Plains is a strategically important territory, because the PLA’s control threatens India’s control over the Siachen Glacier, encircling the Indian Army from both China and Pakistan.
Claim: Depsang Plains is a territory of India (Depsang Plains, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (2024-07-25): Location and physical conditions [edit]Daulat Beg Oldi (DBO) lies at the northeastern corner of the Karakoram Range, at the northern edge of Depsang Plains at an elevation of 5,100 metres (16,700 ft). The international border with China is 8 km to the north and the Line of Actual Control with Chinese-controlled Aksai Chin is 9 km to the east. Other than Siachen Glacier military bases, DBO is India's northernmost settlement. The nearest civilian town is Murgo to the south, which has a small population of Baltis.[4] [...] Filippi also wrote that the experienced caravaners passed through the Depsang Plains without stopping, travelling a distance of 31 miles between Daulat Beg Oldi and Murgo in a single day.[16] Others stopped, either at Qizil Langar to the south of Depsang La, or at Burtsa further south. [...] 1960–1962 [edit]A border post was established at Daulat Beg Oldi (DBO) in 1960 under the supervision of the Intelligence Bureau (IB). By September 1961, the Chinese had established a post in the Chip Chap Valley about 4 miles east of the DBO post as well as roads leading to it.[1][25] The Indian Army then set up posts at Burtsa, Qizil Langar, at a 'track junction' in the Depsang Plains and at Sultan Chushku. These were intended to block any further extension of Chinese roads. The Intelligence Bureau post at DBO was also reinforced with an Army unit.[25]
Claim: Depsang Plains is a territory of India (Depsang Plains, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (2020-08-31): A senior government official told The Hindu that from Depsang Plains to Chushul there had been a systematic mobilisation by the Chinese troops along the undefined LAC. The official revealed that in Depsang Plains , from patrolling point 10-13, the scale of Chinese control of India’s perception of the LAC stood at about 900 sq.km.
Claim: Depsang Plains is a territory of India (Depsang Plains, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (2023-08-26): - Other than these friction points, the legacy issues of Depsang Plains and Demchok - which predate the 2020 incursions by the Chinese PLA - continue to fester. - The Depsang Plains are located close to the strategically important Daulat Beg Oldie. The Depsang Plains issue began in 2013 when China carried out an 18-km incursion in the area. [...] Source: India-China LAC | Buffer zones to Depsang to Demchok: Spotlight on pullback plan, the extent | IE
Claim: Depsang Plains is a territory of India (Depsang Plains, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (2022-12-17): This was not unusual: there were, as we have pointed out, many places along the LAC where the border was really marked by a Line of Perception—the Chinese had one and the Indians another. In this case the Lines of Perception had been some 10–15 km apart. The Chinese patrolled to their line and the Indians theirs. By agreement neither side could build structures or camp in this area. The Depsang Plains, some 900 sq. km in size and at an altitude of 16,000 ft (5,000 m), lie between high mountains on the Indian side and the Laktsang range in the east, adjacent to which runs the Chinese Aksai Chin Highway (G-219). To its north is the undisputed Sino–Indian border point—the Karakoram Pass, and to the south a knot of mountain territory which includes the Galwan river, the site of the June 2020 incident. To their surprise, the Indians were confronted by something unusual next morning. The Chinese had pitched tents and had not gone back. Neither did they do so the day after.
Claim: Depsang Plains is a territory of India (Depsang Plains, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (2020-09-23): The Depsang Plains, located in the northern part of eastern Ladakh, are close to the strategically important Daulat Beg Oldie (near the Karakoram Pass), where India’s highest airstrip is located. The plains come under India’s sub sector north (SSN), and lie between the Siachen Glacier on one side and Chinese-controlled Aksai Chin on the other. [...] As reported by ThePrint, the tensions in the Depsang Plains go back to China’s 18-km incursion into the area in 2013, followed by the 2017 Doklam standoff near India’s tri-junction with China and Bhutan to the east. [...] Also read: Why Depsang Plains, eyed by China, is crucial for India’s defence in Ladakh
Claim: Depsang Plains is a territory of India (Depsang Plains, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (2024-09-21): The Depsang Bulge[3] or Burtsa Bulge[4] is a 900-square-kilometre area[1] of mountain terrain in the disputed Aksai Chin region, which was conceded to India by China in 1960, but has remained under Chinese occupation since the 1962 Sino-Indian War.[5] The area is immediately to the south of the Depsang Plains and encloses the basin of the Burtsa Nala (or Tiannan River, Chinese: 天南河), a stream originating in the Aksai Chin region and flowing west to merge with the Depsang Nala near the village of Burtsa in Ladakh, eventually draining into the Shyok River. The area is perceived to be of strategic importance to both the countries, sandwiched by strategic roads linking border outposts.[6] Since 2013, China has made attempts to push the Line of Actual Control further west into Indian territory, threatening India's strategic road. [...] Citations [edit]- ^ a b c d Sushant Singh, What Rajnath Left Out: PLA Blocks Access to 900 Sq Km of Indian Territory in Depsang, The Wire, 17 September 2020. "Of the more than 1,000 square kilometres in Ladakh along the LAC now under Chinese control after tensions erupted in May, the scale of Chinese control in Depsang alone is about 900 square kilometres." [...] - ^ Snehesh Alex Philip, Why Depsang Plains, eyed by China, is crucial for India’s defence in Ladakh, The Print, 19 September 2020. "The Chinese claim line here is about 1.5 km from an Indian military camp in an area known as Burtse."
Claim: Depsang Plains is a territory of India (Depsang Plains, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (2022-02-04): Significance of Depsang - Depsang is an enclave of flat terrain located in an area the Army classifies as Sub-Sector North (SSN), which provides land access to Central Asia through the Karakoram Pass. - The Army has always identified Depsang plains as where it finds itself most vulnerable in Ladakh, devising plans to tackle the major Chinese challenge. [...] Dangers of delinking Depsang - Invalidation of Indian claims: The biggest danger of delinking Depsang from the current border crisis in Ladakh, however, is of corroborating the Chinese argument, which invalidates the rightful Indian claim over a large swathe of territory.
Claim: Depsang Plains is a territory of India (Depsang Plains, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (2020-09-18): The Depsang Plains are large plains that are suitable for driving armoured carriers, artillery and mechanised units, which is unusual at the height of about 17,000 feet above sea level. Much of these plains have been under Chinese control since the mid-1950s. [...] There is a factor in Depsang Plains, which is the Limits of Patrol (LOP). It is a unique area where India and China’s perception of LAC vary and the limits to which India can patrol is also in a way notified. [...] Therefore, the correct answer to the question, ‘has India lost territory to China’ is that India has been denied access to territory in China in Depsang Plains.
Claim: Depsang Plains is a territory of India (Depsang Plains, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (2023-08-31): According to Gupta’s account, the site of the standoff was about 30 kilometers away from India’s Daulat Beg Oldi (DBO) military base, the northernmost outpost and an Advanced Landing Ground. Located in the far east of the Karakoram mountain range, DBO lies at the intersection of two disputed areas. It is on the eastern edge of the Siachen glacier, on which Indian and Pakistani troops strive to maintain their positions under extreme conditions. On the other side, a dozen kilometers away, is Aksai Chin, a region disputed between China and India. The Depsang plains lie south of DBO in a strategic area that the military refers to as Sub-Sector North (SSN). Control over the Depsang plains is vital to the defense of Ladakh as they straddle the Darbuk–Shyok–DBO road, an all-weather supply line from Leh to the final SSN outpost at DBO.
Claim: Depsang Plains is a territory of India (Depsang Plains, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (2024-04-09): Highway G219 runs for about 112 miles near the eastern border of the region at a distance of some 60–70 difficult miles from the LAC. About six miles west of the Indian side of the LAC, the 160-mile Darbuk-Shyok-Daulat Beg Oldie (DSDBO) section of the road between the Karakoram Pass and Leh (about 50 miles northwest of Pangong Lake) was upgraded in 2019.11 Both China and India have been improving the road, rail, and air transportation infrastructure through this difficult terrain for many years, resulting in an infrastructure construction arms race. Most of the Aksai Chin, from the Depsang Plains in the north to Gogra/Hot Springs, is administered by Hotan county in Xinjiang. The area from Gogra/Hot Springs to the south is part of Ngari/Ali prefecture in the Tibet Autonomous Region. Even though the southern portion of the Aksai Chin is located in the western reaches of Tibet, the Nanjiang (south Xinjiang) Military District subordinate to the Xinjiang MD is responsible for military operations in the disputed area, including all of Ngari. [...] Depsang Plains (reinforced border defense units, air defense site)
Claim: Depsang Plains is a territory of India (Depsang Plains, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (2020-08-12): Depsang Plains - 12 Aug 2020 - 4 min read [...] - The Depsang Plains along with Pangong Tso are the two major areas of concern in the ongoing standoff along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh. - Despite the strategic importance of the Depsang Plains, the series of military talks held so far have focussed on the standoff areas at Galwan, Gogra Hotsprings and Finger area of Pangong Tso.
Claim: Depsang Plains is a territory of India (Depsang Plains, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (2020-06-20): The Chinese have violated the Indian perception of LAC in Depsang by moving in troops and building a considerable strength close to the area with tanks and artillery, sources said. The buildup is of particular concern as China claims an area of about 20 km inside the Indian territory. [...] The location is also strategic as Chinese side can use its units there to interdict and cut off road access to the DBO airfield as well as the Karakoram pass. Indian territory under threat includes the camp at Burtse and the Raki Nalla area while the buildup has been observed at a feature known as bottleneck, sources said. In 2013, a three-week standoff took place at the Depsang plain after a Chinese platoon set up a camp near Raki Nalla. This was a surprise for India as this disputed area — where the LAC difference ranges from 15-20 km — had been patrolled by both sides in the past. The Chinese side agreed to withdraw after weeks of flag meetings. Since then, India has completed its road to DBO and beyond, increasing the strategic value of the location.
Claim: Depsang Plains is a territory of India (Depsang Plains, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (2022-11-21): In the pre-Ladakh crisis era, the army had identified Siachen as the likely place of physical collusion between China and Pakistan. In January 2020, Naravane said that "We must not lose sight from where collusion between China and Pakistan can take place. We need to hold it. Though it can take place at any level, Siachen and Shaksgam Valley are the places where territory of these two countries meet. … Therefore, it is important to be on guard and keep that area in our possession." This is the area where the Ladakh border crisis with China occurred in the summer of 2020, and as of the end of March 2021, the standoff between the two militaries in Depsang plains, abutting the area Naravane referred to, remains unresolved.36 Note: China has blocked Indian patrols from reaching five patrolling points in the Depsang plains for over a year. Reports suggest an augmentation of the Chinese military infrastructure in the area during the crisis, further putting pressure on India. But the more significant point to note is that, apprehensive about a physical collusion between China and Pakistan, the Indian Army will steadfastly oppose any move to vacate the Siachen Glacier. [...] - 36Note: China has blocked Indian patrols from reaching five patrolling points in the Depsang plains for over a year. Reports suggest an augmentation of the Chinese military infrastructure in the area during the crisis, further putting pressure on India.
Claim: Depsang Plains is a territory of India (Depsang Plains, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (2021-04-21): The 10th round of military commander-level talks held on Feb. 20 signaled a partial reduction of bilateral tensions. There remain several outstanding issues, including military withdrawal from the Depsang Plains and stalled disengagement from the Gogra and Hot Springs area in eastern Ladakh (which the 11th round of corps commander-level talks in April failed to resolve). But this did not stop nascent signs of reconciliation at the political level. These include the establishment of a hotline between both countries’ foreign ministers and reports that China has supported India’s candidacy to assume chairmanship of the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa) Forum. [...] The Galwan Valley skirmishes were preceded by tensions in the Doklam plateau in 2017, the Chumar area in 2014, and the Depsang Plains in 2013. Each incident demonstrated China’s ability to apply pressure on the border and probe New Delhi’s resolve. The most recent border tensions (like the previous ones) also entailed both sides claiming victory (or at least refusing to acknowledge defeat). Nationalist rhetoric and an unwillingness to publicly examine the roots of the most recent crisis or to alter or reassess their territorial claims set the stage for renewed tensions in the future. This is particularly relevant for China, where there is limited space for independent and critical analysis of the country’s foreign policy. However, it also holds relevance for India, where there has been a longstanding tendency by the policymaking community to limit informed public debate on New Delhi’s China policy.
Claim: Depsang Plains is a territory of India (Depsang Plains, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (2023-02-18): More than a year has passed since the clash between Indian and Chinese troops in the Galwan Valley. Since then the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) and the Indian Northern Command have carried out a disengagement around the Pangong Tso but remain locked against each other at Gogra, Hot Springs, and the Depsang Plains. [...] First, India’s response is characterised by military restraint. In both Doklam and Ladakh, the Indian leadership calculated that some sort of stalemate on the ground is enough to make room for negotiations. The stalemate could be inefficient, given the high altitude and number of troops required, and even be favourable to China — after all, the PLA continues to occupy territory India claims as its own.
Claim: Depsang Plains is a territory of India (Depsang Plains, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (2020-07-02): What we do know is that the scope and swath of China’s recent incursions seems different this time. The Chinese military pressed not at one point as in the past, but at several tactically important pressure points with thousands of forces across hundreds of kilometers: at Pangong Lake, Hot Springs, Galwan Valley, and Depsang Plains. There are concerning reports that China may be opening, or preparing to open, fronts in Arunachal Pradesh in the eastern sector of the disputed border. The buildup seems orchestrated by senior PLA leaders, rather than the product of local commander freelancing, and in several places Indian officials believe China has pushed forces beyond points it previously claimed. Whether this is into "Indian territory" or not is hotly debated, but there is no doubt China is attempting to change the status quo through a series of faits accomplis. Shallow incursions in the Galwan Valley and on the Depsang Plains give China significant vantage points over — and the potential to cut off — India’s recently constructed all-weather motorway, the Darbuk-Shyok-Daulet Beg Oldi Road, along the Line of Actual Control, as well as critical feeder roads to the line itself.
Claim: Depsang Plains is a territory of India (Depsang Plains, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (2020-08-08): Heightened concerns about Depsang come from an earlier intrusion in this sector in 2013, when the PLA set up positions 19 km into the Indian side of the LAC and triggered a face-off that took three weeks to resolve. [...] The Depsang plains lie south of DBO in a strategic area that the military calls Sub-Sector North (SSN). DBO is the country’s northernmost outpost where India operates an advanced landing ground to support its forward military deployments. "Depsang is more of a pressure point as the PLA’s reported deployment in forward areas has disrupted the Indian Army’s patrolling pattern. It has become more time consuming for the army to dominate the LAC. But as long as talks are on there is hope for a mutually-acceptable solution to the dispute," said Lieutenant General Vinod Bhatia (retd), a former director general of military operations.