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Featured Exiled Tibetans in India's 'special force' are only 'cannon fodder'

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The latest border confrontation between China and India has brought under spotlight an Indian force unit, composed of the exiled Tibetans who some Indian media believe formed an "elite unit" and played an "important role" in the latest standoff triggered by India's provocative actions.

However, according to Chinese analysts, this so-called Special Frontier Force (SFF), numbered at most 1,000, was far from being "elite" and was only used by Indian army as cannon fodder in the border clash.

After the Indian army again confronted Chinese troops on the border area at the southern bank of the Pangong Tso Lake and near Reqin Mountain pass on Monday, Indian media hyped up the casualties of Tibetan members of its Tibetan armed unit. India army said its troops preempted Chinese military during the latest clash.

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Then more Western media reported about the SFF, saying ethnic Tibetans in exile are joining the Indian army to help India fight against China.

However, Qian Feng, director of the research department at the National Strategy Institute at Tsinghua University, told the Global Times on Friday that Indian army deployed the unit of exiled Tibetans to conduct the preemptive actions, but according to Indian media, the action resulted in one death and injuries to another commander, which fully reflects Indian forces' insufficient preparations.

"One death and injuries to another commander in this non-war military action showed that the SFF was not that 'special,' and far from being elite. They were only used by Indian army as cannon fodder," Qian said.

The SFF was first formed with the support of the US in the 1960s as the exiled Tibetans had high-altitude combat capabilities. They were later used by India to spy on Chinese military, according to Qian.

At present, the SFF's importance has declined significantly in Indian army and it no longer plays any important role. The number of the unit has also dramatically reduced, and at present the unit has at most 1,000 offspring of the exiled Tibetans, he said.

Indian army does not trust foreign soldiers, thus most of the ethnic Tibetans had very low status in the military. Becoming a member of the unit was only their means to make a living, Qian said.

However, some foreign media including Reuters boasted their importance and claimed the Tibetan "government-in-exile" support them in fighting shoulder to shoulder with India against China.

After a Reuters reporter asked Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying to comment on it at Wednesday's media briefing, Hua said we firmly oppose any country providing convenience in any form for the "Tibet secessionist" forces' separatist activities.

Analysts said that Tibetan "government-in-exile" has faded into obscurity and cannot make any waves internationally. It only used the China-India border confrontations as an opportunity to get a little bit of attention.

While for India, colluding with the exiled Tibetan and playing the Tibet card is only shooting its own foot, as China's economic power and military strength are much greater than India's, analysts said.

 
Indian army soldiers, who were conscripted among Tibetan refugees with the aim of liberating Tibet, have entered and occupied what China perceives as Chinese land under their nose - despite all the drama and threats from the Chinese... and they are happily camped there for over 3 days, while the Chinese have done nothing except rant and cry, ask for meetings, and spread fake news about recapturing these territories.. Let that sink in. :-)
 
Their surroundings look so poor and shabby, they really don't know how highly developed Tibet is now.
They prefer living a content spiritual life in harmony with nature over your materialism and development.
 
They prefer living a content spiritual life in harmony with nature over your materialism and development.
Do you prefer living a content spiritual life in harmony with nature over your materialism and development?
 
GT staff visit this site ?or

They prefer living a content spiritual life in harmony with nature over your materialism and development.
no normal human in the world want to live in a pathetic living condition in near abject poverty.
How many religious institutions the refugees get to maintain their so called spiritual life? in china it's 1800+,basically 1 for ever 2k civilian, and 46K monks ,that means 1 monk for every 75 civilians.
 
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India is playing with fire and will soon get burnt by it.

Why use of ethnic Tibetan-led SFF is significant

For most people in India, the Special Frontier Force (SFF) came an educational experience earlier this week. It was for the first time that many heard about the SFF, when the unit thwarted the Chinese military's attempt to change status quo on the south bank of Pangong Tso region.

This was reportedly the first time that the SFF was used in an active situation along the Line of Actual Control or the border with China. The interesting part of the story is that the SFF was raised as a response to the Chinese invasion of India in 1962. The force had been pressed into use along the Line of Control with Pakistan, but the unit was never used in action against the Chinese.

Character-wise, the SFF is a covert operation unit. It is not an Army unit. At least one wing of the SFF comprises of ethnic Tibetans, and is also known as the Vikas Battalion. The SFF works under the Cabinet Secretariat, unlike the wings of military, which come under the Ministry of Defence. The Cabinet Secretariat is the same department of the government under which the Research and Analysis Wing (R&AW) functions. The SFF and R&AW work in close coordination.

WHY COVERT FORCE

The use of the ethnic Tibetans-led SFF unit in the active eastern Ladakh zone came as a surprise because the Army had been the one keeping an eye on the LAC since the Chinese push in May.

However, given that China has made most of its advances in Aksai Chin and rest of eastern Ladakh through covert means, the use of a highly trained unit in the same mode of warfare meant business for India. The government sent across an obvious message that Chinese covert play along the LAC would be responded in the same manner.


The SFF is a unit that was raised in the post-1962 war period with joint training by Indian forces and the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) of the US. Ethnic Tibetans or Tibetans-in-exile make up sizeable portion of this force.

A TIBETAN MESSAGE

The ethnic Tibetans have come into the picture at a time when China has launched a fresh drive to change the cultural identity of Tibet -- an autonomous region under Chinese control that has a long history of its own driving force from Lama-based sects of Buddhism.

Tibetans resisted Chinese moves to overrun their erstwhile kingdom in 1950s. China under Xi Jinping has revived the campaign to "sinicise" Tibetan Buddhism. Xi Jinping has been calling for sinicisation -- streamlining of the ethnic and religious minorities with the Han Chinese community -- of the Tibetans for over few years now.

As recently as on August 29, Xi Jinping said the Chinese military needed to strengthen its defences in Tibet and administration to sinicise Tibetan religion and culture in sync with the principles of the Communist Party of China and majoritarian culture of the ethnic Han community.

In response, Tibetans-in-exile and their leaders have sought help from the international community for protection of their cultural and democratic rights. A Tibetan government-in-exile functions from India. Its leaders have called upon the Indian government to shed its reluctance in supporting the Tibetan cause.

The appeal from the Tibetan community has grabbed attention of world politics to the extent that Democratic Party nominee in the US presidential election, Joe Biden has promised to sanction the Chinese officials responsible for human rights abuse in Tibet.

China has been critical of India's support to the Tibetans. Against this background, the Indian government went ahead with the strategy of using ethnic Tibetans in an active military conflict zone along the LAC in Ladakh. This is another message that India has tried to send to China in a subtle but military manner.
 
Don't like killing Tibetans. Many Tibetan soldiers fighting in the PLA alongside Han soldiers.
 
Taking refuge in India isn’t like a free lunch without the expiry date!! You have to be like the Indian agents, and die fighting her enemies! Bengals from the East Pak learnt it in ‘71, and BDs have been repaying ever since! It’s not like Afgans in Pak....
 
Taking refuge in India isn’t like a free lunch without the expiry date!! You have to be like the Indian agents, and die fighting her enemies! Bengals from the East Pak learnt it in ‘71, and BDs have been repaying ever since! It’s not like Afgans in Pak....


Yep, they are getting fools to die for them.
 

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