India and China are increasingly facing off each other because Tibet is no longer a "buffer zone" between them, the leader of Tibet's exiled government has said, noting that "pre-1949 there was hardly even a policeman on the border".
Highlighting the importance of the strategic Himalayan region for India, Tibetan Prime Minister Lobsang Sangay said, "There was never incursion in '40s and '30s because India and China were never next to each other. Tibet always served as the buffer zone. Now they are facing off each other."
"So two of the largest populated countries in this planet are facing each other because there is no Tibet as the buffer zone," he said.
Tibet, he said, is geopolitically very important and referred to the recent, Chinese Army incursion in Indian territory.
Sangay said it is because of the non-resolution of the Tibetan issue, Tibet is no longer being a buffer between India and China as there is a massive military buildup between the two Asian neighbours.
In his rare appearance before a Washington audience, the head of the Tibetan administration in exile said that though he has no complaints or regrets, but he wish India could have done more for Tibet. However, he did not elaborate it.
"Tibet is very much linked to India's security. The 4,000, to 5,000 kilometres of border that we have with, China has always been the threat, so hence the border dispute. Pre-1949 there was hardly even a policeman on the border. There was no need for one," he said on Wednesday.
"Now, the military buildup that is going on and the billions of dollars India has spent on its border security, which could rather be spent on other humanitarian or educational projects. So India's security is very much linked to Tibet issue.
"The Chinese government in China says Tibet is one of their core issues. And all the more, India should say Tibet is one of the core issues for India, as well," Sangay said in response to a question at the Council on Foreign Relations, a Washington-based Indian think-tank.
"Now the military buildup is very high. According to Indian media reports, there are 23 military division on the Chinese side or the Tibet side, 11 military division on the Indian side; five military airfields on Tibet side, only one airfield on the Indian side; and China has build a seaport in Pakistan, they're building one in Sri Lanka, attempting to build one in Bangladesh and Burma," he said.
"Thereby India is surrounded by sea, air now. With the train from Beijing to Golmud to Lhasa onto Shigatze to Nepal, maybe to border of Bangladesh also. So by sea, air and land, the two countries are facing each other. Historically, it was not the case. And it's geopolitically very important," the Tibetan leader said.
