Thimphu: Bhutan is “being heavily pressured by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP)” to change its stand on Doklam, according to Delhi-based foreign policy think tank Red Lantern Analytica (RLA). “Bhutan, which had also agreed to coordinate its foreign policy with India under agreements such as friendship treaties, is now under heavy pressure from the CCP to change its stand, which has led Prime Minister Lotay Tshering to resign recently. claimed that ‘China has an equal stake in the Doklam dispute’ as resolving the Doklam dispute does not depend on Bhutan alone and all three countries – Bhutan, India and China are equal stakeholders,” read an RLA statement.
Doklam is a disputed area between India, Bhutan and China. The issue of the Doklam Plateau came into limelight in 2017 when Chinese troops, under the leadership of the CCP, with construction vehicles and road-building equipment began expanding an existing road in Doklam to the south. China claims the entire Doklam plateau as its own, while India maintains its dignity. Historical treaties according to Red Lantern Analytica.
According to the think tank, China has been playing with Bhutan’s sovereignty and territorial integrity for decades, sometimes by showing large parts of Bhutan as part of China on Chinese maps, sometimes by building massive infrastructure in Bhutan’s territory, But most of the attempts of illegal construction in the disputed area
While it may appear that Bhutan has limited options when it comes to stopping China’s growing encroachment on Bhutanese territory, it is important for the country not to be swayed by the CCP’s poor words and adopt a pacifist stance According to the RLA, siding with China can have the exact opposite result.
The think tank said Bhutan should not fall into the trap of China’s dubious claims and that India has always shown efforts to resolve Bhutan’s conflicts with China. Bhutan should take a clear stand on this issue while remaining unaffected by China. According to the RLA, the Doklam issue is a sensitive geopolitical issue of which Bhutan is an essential part; Therefore, Prime Minister Lotay Tshering should take into account the interests of both India and Bhutan before giving in to the whims and fancies of the CCP.