View of Panggong Lake in Ladakh, north India, on 9 July 2014. File photo/Tibet Sun/Lobsang Wangyal
Tibet Sun Online News
ON THE WEB, 1 September 2020
A Tibetan soldier of Company Leader rank has been reportedly killed, and his junior injured, by Chinese bullets at India’s northern border in Ladakh region while they were on patrol duty, according to sources.
Company Leader Nyima Tenzin, 51, was reportedly killed by a gunshot in the neck. He is said to be from the Tibetan settlement in Choglamsar near Ladakh’s capital Leh, and had 33 years of service. The injured man is Tenzin Loden, 24, also from Choglamsar settlement. The incident took place on Saturday night.
Both men were from the 7th battalion of the Special Frontier Force (SFF), also known as Establishment 22, which is a unit made up of Tibetans under the Indian army. Within the Indian army the Tibetan unit is known as the “Vikas battalion”.
The incessant move by Chinese soldiers to occupy border areas perceived by India as its own territory has left the two sides in ongoing confrontation. The situation intensified in June after Chinese soldiers killed 20 Indian solders in a hand-to-hand battle on the disputed border.
Months of military and diplomatic dialogue trying to persuade Beijing to withdraw its troops from the border incursion have failed to produce any results.
On Sunday hundreds of China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) soldiers crossed into the Indian side of the Line of Actual Control (LAC) south of Panggong lake, occupied a hill called Helmet Top and began building fortifications.
Tibetan soldiers stationed at the nearby Thakung post intervened to prevent the PLA soldiers from building. Physical clashes followed that left dozens of Chinese soldiers injured. There were no reports of firing at the site.
PLA soldiers are now reportedly occupying Helmet Top, as well as nearby Black Top, both of which are on the Indian side of the LAC. These hilltop spots are said to be vantage points for Chinese soldiers to observe and track Indian movements across Panggong lake and as far as India’s tactically vital Chushul garrison.
Indian authorities have been keeping silent about a counter-operation by the SFF soldiers launched on Sunday night. An SFF detachment is reported to have occupied key heights that China claims as their own.
On Monday, the Indian army in a press release said, “On the night of 29/30 August, PLA troops violated the consensus arrived at during military and diplomatic engagements… and carried out provocative military movements to change the status quo.
“Indian troops pre-empted this PLA activity on the southern bank of Pangong Tso Lake, undertook measures to strengthen our positions and thwart Chinese intentions to unilaterally change facts on ground.”
A “flag meeting” — a meeting of commanders of both sides — is said to be in progress at a nearby Chushul post on the Indian side of the border to resolve the issues.
China on Monday accused the Indian Army of crossing the Line of Actual Control (LAC), blatantly provoking China by seriously infringing on China’s territorial sovereignty.
The Global Times, China’s official newspaper, in a provocative editorial wrote that if India would like a military showdown, the PLA is bound to make the Indian army suffer much more severe losses than it did in 1962.
Updated 1 September 2020 5:35 pm IST with details for Nyima Tenzin and Tenzin Loden.
Updated 1 September 2020 5:20 pm IST to change name Tenzin Lobsang to Tenzin Loden.
I don’t know where you get this information about the bullet/neck wound. I guess a person would not loss a leg from neck injury. So from what we know, it was a mine blast and due to blood loss.
Salute to the CL NYIMA TENZIN
Rest with POWER
Boy… Sacrifice is sacrifice. We Indians acknowledge it and don’t blow the trumpet big as you know SFF is a covert operation force. Don’t think yourself apart from us in any ways. If ‘Tibetan” sacrificed it’s life for India, India too paid the price with 1000s dead soldiers & loss of Aksai Chin region in 1962 war with China, One of the major root cause was Nehru sheltering His Highness Dalai Lama and angering the Chinese monkey Mao. So don’t look for rewards of bravery. The coffin off Nyima Tenzin wrapped up in Indian Tri-colour acknowledges his supreme sacrifice for India, who he considered his ‘Motherland”.
We all Indians wanna see ‘Tibet” free of Chinese yolks. No matter what global diplomacy demands from Indian politicians.
You have some point there, Bobby. However, I think the more important point as the other article on the matter raises, why Tibetan armies at SFF are not getting same benefit and pension as the Indian counterpart, although they are involved in the same kind of duties and responsibilities?
It’s encouraging to see Indians participating in this discussion. In fact, every Tibetan must pay special interest in what’s going on in the Tibetan world as it relates to India and China.
Growing up in exile in India, I think I heard Tibetan armies are sent to do riskier jobs, e.g. Kargil war, Liberation War of Bangladesh, and now this. So the pressing question: can the Tibetan SFF battalions have the same rights and benefits as the Indian armies?
I pay my respects to the martyred soldier and express deep gratitude to him and all the other brave hearts of the SFF battalion. True heroes! May they be victorious over the ignorant evil empire that is hellbent on self destruction.
Claude Arpi has dedicated his most recent POST on his blog to fallen hero Nyima Tenzin (and injured Tenzin Loden) of the SFF or “Establishment 22”.
Back then the US was “initially” involved but dropped out later. This time around….
Two of our brave hearts have made the supreme sacrifice in the Ladakh sector, fighting the red robbers. It is our solemn duty to fight and defend our second homeland, and our boys have done a commendable job by standing shoulder to shoulder with Indian brothers.
This is the time to prove our loyalty to India, and the message is clearly and loudly delivered to the entire world that we are reliable and trustworthy people during both peace and war time.
A day is not far when Indian leaders will be forced to change their Tibet policy, as the lasting peace with China is almost impossible.
I support liberation of Tibet. I want Dalai Lama to be sitting in Lhasa of free Tibet. This I want to see in my life time.
I will visit Tibet once free.
I wonder how many Tibetan soldiers in the PLA in general. Can anybody throw any light on it this question – at least a rough idea?
What I think certain is most of Tibetan soldiers in PLA must be now stationed at conflict zone on Indo Tibetan border in eastern Ladakh.
From Indian side the Tibetans in SFF are among those at forefront. For reasons I don’t know, unlike in the past, now the fact is loudly being announced on some of Indian media. So it is big possiblity the Chinese deliberately push the Tibetan soldiers in PLA to front if not it’s the case already. Just imagine in hot war!
Gyaltsen wangchuk, Delhi
“Everything is fair in love and war” History repeat in it self. With this quote I just want to bring you back into history that when the ‘Azad Hind Fauj‘ led by Subhash Chandra Bose in order to liberate India from Britishers, marched with the help of Japan into India from north east region of India, they too had to face (similar scenario most probably like that of Vikas regiment fighting China represented by Tibetans from Tibet) British army then represented by Indian soldiers before independence at the border. So this is nothing new!
It’s Tibetans killing Tibetans, one in chinese army another in indian army.
India has been dispatching regiment 22 to the border. China too has been dispatching Tibetan regiment to the border area. Many who died in Gulwan valley are Tibetans such as Tsering and Dhundup, etc.
This is what happens when you don’t have a country of your own. you become paid mercenaries.
Galwan Incident didn’t include Tibetan Soldiers from any side. Indians who died were from Bihar Regiment. Those who retaliated were from Ghatak Paltoon on Indian side. Sikh soldiers. I Sikh who died, killed 13 Chinese before dying. He was 23.
Even the Chinese soldiers were not Tibetans.
They were from deep inside China.
I saw a screenshot from Twitter and the names were not Tibetan names. Till now Tibetan loss of life is 2. 1 died of landmine explosion and 1 was shot by Chinese soldiers I think. Still not confirmed yet. There might be more casualty news coming.
I sincerely hope its not Tibetans killing Tibetans.
A hero’s salute from an ex-SFF soldier to present fallen one. You sacrificed for Tibet, paying our debt to India; and fighting our enemies that still occupy our sacred land and enslave our people. May be you take rebirth as Tibetan leader to once again raise the flag of Tibetan nation.
Tibetans are once again in the forefront of defending India. The SFF proved its mettle in 1971 during the liberation war of Bangla Desh. The SFF was instrumental in India’s victory over the Pakistani forces but India didn’t acknowledge the noble sacrifice of the brave SFF paratroopers nor their valour on the battle field.
Tibetans are famous for their chivalry from ancient times and the legendary Khampa bravery were immortalised by books like Cavaliers of Kham and Orphans of the Cold War.
The strategy to defend the Indian Himalayan border has become India’s most vexing endeavour after Tibet was occupied by communist China. A new strategy needs to be considered to frustrate the Chinese to prevent them nibbling away at Indian territory.
The SFF must be made into a exclusively Tibetan fighting force on the Indo-Tibet border by recruiting Tibetans from inside Tibet. The force will not only defend but assists in helping Tibetans from occupied Tibet to be trained and armed.
There will be no dearth of recruits and if they can find a safe passage through the mountains with the help of the SFF which goes beyond enemy lines, it is possible a very highly motivated Tibetan force can keep the Chinese on their tenterhooks.
India’s pussy footing has only emboldened the Chinese and is taking advantage. India must bleed the Chinese like the Mustang Tibetan guerrillas did until it was disbanded in 1972. This will give a purpose for the Tibetans to join the force and fight to the death the enemy that is occupying our country.
Such a strategy has a long term goal of pushing the Chinese occupiers out of Tibet. Tibetans have militarily fought the enemy both inside the country and after coming into exile. FREEDOM IS NOT FREE. Blood, sweat and tears must be shed!!!
According to the SFF, it was mine blast which was installed by Indian Army in 1962 during Sino Indian War. Tibetan ranked Company Leader, of 7 VIKAS battalion, a resident of Camp No 1 in Ladakh was killed due to mine blast like i said before. And one soldier of sepoy rank was injured. Tibetan army was never ever killed by Chinese bullet.