China’s embassy in Nepal has once again warned Chinese citizens in the Himalayan country not to visit the Nepal-India border region, after two Chinese nationals were arrested by Indian police for allegedly taking photos and videos in the area.
Advertisement
The reminder, posted on Friday via the embassy’s official social media account, was the third such reminder in the past month.
It said that despite repeated warnings for Chinese nationals travelling in Nepal to avoid the India border area, some chose to ignore these cautions and insisted on visiting the region, resulting in several arrests by Indian border guards over alleged illegal entry.
“In order to protect the safety of Chinese citizens in Nepal, the Chinese embassy in Nepal once again solemnly reminds Chinese citizens not to go to the Nepal-India border area,” the statement said, warning that Nepal and India had “comprehensively strengthened patrols and inspections” in recent days.
The embassy also noted that Nepal and India shared an open border with few border signs, allowing the citizens of both countries to travel freely with their identity documents. However, nationals of other countries could not travel to India through Nepal without a visa, and Chinese citizens visiting the Nepal-India border area were very likely to mistakenly enter Indian territory and face the risk of arrest, it warned.
Advertisement
It also warned about severe penalties in India for illegal immigrants. Even if entry into Indian territory was accidental, individuals would be arrested, prosecuted, and could face between two to eight years of jail time, along with fines, the notice said.
The reminder came a day after two Chinese nationals were arrested at the Jatahi-Pipraun border in India’s Bihar state on Thursday.