THREAD. Today @GrewalBaani and I released a short interactive report looking to explain and update the situation on the Doklam Plateau. It remains a flashpoint with underlying tension. For this project we built a 3D model & mapped positions on both sides. pageflow.aspi.org.au/mappingdoklam
@GrewalBaani What jumps out looking at Doklam today, four years after the stand-off, is that none of the tensions that caused that conflict have been addressed, there is still an inherent competition for the strategic position in Sikkim. /2
@GrewalBaani To help orient people to the issue and explain the strategic importance of Doklam we produced two 3D models that can be explored here: skfb.ly/o78y8 skfb.ly/o78AV
These allow you to explore the terrain and positions on both sides yourself.
@GrewalBaani The models are annotated with key positions and points that explain some of this tension. /4
@GrewalBaani In short it comes down to the Jampheri Ridge. A strategic position in Doklam that allows complete overwatch of India's Siliguri Corridor. The 'Chicken-Neck".
Control this & you can observe the small strip of Indian land that connects the North-East with the rest of the country.
It was Chinese road-building towards this ridge that prompted India to step into Bhutanese territory and prevent construction in 2017.
After that was stopped, China continued to build a road towards the ridge, just further back from the border.
/6
This shows China's committment to their strategic goal of control of the Jampheri Ridge. Although the construction has stalled with recent moves towards deconfliction around the border, the road can be continued at any time.
As it stands, India controls the strategic ridgelines along the border, with multiple layers of defense and considerable overwatch over the disputed Bhutanese territory. China has mostly been restricted to building in valleys and on slopes hidden from the Indian border.
Mostly.
These images show the viewshed of both Indian (teal) and Chinese (red) positions. It clearly shows how China has very few eyes into Indian territory, while India's control of the ridges also gives it visibility into Doklam. /9
But despite this, all it would take to turn the current situation on i ts head is a road. And we all know how quickly China can bulid a road, should it see the strategic imperative in continuing this rear road to the ridgeline.
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This jabroni dedicated a huge thread to whataboutism.
What he ignores is that for a lot of people including me, knowledge of the brutal and inhuman treatment of indigenous people on our doorstep is a big driver on how we think about Xinjiang and why we consider it genocide.
Australia's genocide of our indigenous people was driven largely by eugenics and an idea of ethnic superiority. It is too chilling to hear echos of that language and those policies in today's China to not shout about them.
The fact that propagandists and people like Stuart can be fully aware of one, and wholeheartedly defend similar policies occuring today speaks either to their morals or the intelligence. Or both.
A video from 1 hour ago showing Kabul's Camp Gibson under the control out the Taliban.
Caption says 'The largest military base in Kabul is under the control of the Taliban'.
Outside there are two burnt-out Technicals, presumably belonging to Afghan forces.
Full videos in reply.
This is the video drive-by of the base's entrance.
The lengths that government bureaucracies all across Europe are going to to deny fleeing Afghans (including interpreters and other local staff) refuge in the continent is completely disgusting. An absolute stain on the moral leadership of Europe and inexcusable.
Stories of interpreters and local embassy staff being denied protection for arbitrary bureaucratic reasons with no bearing on reality is a civilisational blight, and disgusting disregard for human life. It is chilling to think how many lives these purposeful denials will cost.
Foreign Ministries across Europe are being deliberately myopic and obstructionist in preventing the protection of people. Interpreters are told to provide documents that have already been burnt to save their lives. These are not legitimate hurdles, theyre deliberate barriers.
Police in Bangkok firing 40mm 'Barricade Buster' rubber munitions directly at the press tonight in Bangkok. These less-lethal munitions have been used copiously this week against protesters in Bangkok.
See reply for close up pictures of the munition.
These photos, from Friday by @PravitR show the style and look of 'brarricade buster' rounds.
They are designed to be fired at barricades not directly at people, and can cause serious pain/injury.
Disturbing to see them fired directly at the media, seemingly at around head-height.
Note. The munitions used may not be precisely the same model as that procurement screenshot above. A large number of companies produce similar products, unclear which exact model is used by Thai police.
Unfortunately, theres a few gaps in coverage - namely in Karen state (needs improvement), there is a week in early May with incomplete coverage. Explosions since May have become too numerous to record them all, only ones causing injury or hitting strategic targets are listed now.
On the map, the size of the dots show the approximate number of reported fatalities (note this data is extremely incomplete as most incidents don't include casualty information) and coloured by the non-state actor involved.