GORKHA: China has unilaterally laid a 150-meter long wire fence at Ruila border of Chumanubri Village-1 of Gorkha district, Annapurna Post (AP) has reported.

The report published by AP says that the fence has been built without abiding by any of the criteria to be followed while constructing the structure at the border.

Neither the Ministry of Foreign Affairs nor the District Administration Office is aware of this, the report says.

Annapurna Post has quoted Chief District Officer of Gorkha, Shankar Hari Acharya, as saying that the administration has no information on the issue.

Even the Ministry of Foreign Affairs seems to be unaware of the fence.

Rita Dhital, co-spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said that China should have fixed the fence as there is an arrangement to not build any structure in the no-man’s land.

“As far as we know, Rui Naka has been cordoned off for more than a decade,” she said.

A bilateral agreement is required when constructing a wire or any structure within the no-man’s land area beyond the boundary pillar, according to her.

According to local Chiring Lama, there is a wire fence at the Ruila border point, the AP report says.

Lama said that the two-way movement along the Nepal-China border area in the district has been closed after China laid the wire in the no-man’s land, the report said.

Locals have complained that they are facing problems in bringing essential daily necessities after China laid the wire fence.

According to the locals, the gate has been locked by the Chinese side, AP has reported.

Home Ministry spokesperson Phanindra Mani Pokharel, on the other hand, argues that an agreement between the two countries has to be reached while constructing structures including fences in the two border areas.

Border expert Budhinarayan Shrestha also said that there should be a consensus between the two countries while constructing structures within the no-man’s land, according to the AP report.

(Inputs from Annapurna Post)