Arunachal Pradesh Students' Union flays China's move of renaming cities

China had strongly protested the visit of Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama

The powerful All Arunachal Pradesh Students' Union (AAPSU) on Friday described Beijing's move to rename six places in the state as an "uncalled for" and unwarranted act.

It also termed Beijing's move to rename six places in Arunachal in the backdrop of Dalai Lama's recent visit to the state as intriguing and unnecessarily interfering into the internal affair of a sovereign nation.

"History is the living witness that Arunachal was never a part of China at any given point of time," AAPSU President, Hawa Bagang said.

"Such parochial approach and idea won't have any takers in the state of Arunachal Pradesh who are one of the most patriotic people in the country," he said.

The Chinese Ministry of Civil Affairs announced on April 14 on its website that it had standardised in Chinese characters, Tibetan and Roman alphabet names of six places in Arunachal Pradesh, which China calls "South Tibet".

The six names are Wo'gyainling, Mila Ri, Qoidengarbo Ri, Mainquka, Bumo La and Namkapub Ri. The state-run Global Times, which reported the ministry's move on Tuesday, did not say which six places in Arunachal Pradesh were being referred to.

China had strongly protested the visit of Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, to Arunachal Pradesh, especially Tawang earlier this month.

Describing the development "uncalled for" and "unwarranted" act on part of the China government, Bagang said: "It is a deliberate plan to create confusion and commotion for their long term sinister design in the international community."

On Thursday, India had dismissed China's act of giving its own names to six places in Arunachal Pradesh, saying "it doesn't make illegally held territory legal".