BORDER DISPUTE

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30036, 22 January 1963, Page 13

BORDER DISPUTE

Proposals Published (N Z.PA-Reuter—Copyright) NEW DELHI, January 20 India’s Prime Minister (Mr Nehru) said today that the Colombo Conference proposals for settling the Chinese - Indian border dispute were largely in line with the Indian stand.

Mr ’ T ehru, addressing members of his Congress party, claimed that, by and large, the proposals for the eastern and western border sectors were in line with the Indian position, that China’s forces withdraw behind the line held by them last September 8. The Indian Government would defer its final opinion on the Colombo proposals until China had given its reply, the British United Press said.

The proposals, published in Colombo yesterday, asked India to accept temporary joint civil administration in the area of Ladakh from which Chinese troops are withdrawing. In the Northeast Frontier area, it said that the line of actual control in areas recognised by both Governments could serve as a cease-fire line. Mr Nehru said the Government hoped to receive the final reaction of the Chinese Government to the Colombo proposals before the end of the current session of Parliament on Friday. Earlier. Mr Nehru was understood to have told a group of Opposition members of Parliament that the chances of Chinese acceptance of the proposals were 50-50. China today demanded the “immediate and unconditional

release’* of ail Otinese nationals under arrest in India, the New , China News Agency reported. Also sought was a definite reply from the Indian Government to China’s request to send ships to bring '‘victimised" Chinese nationals back from India.

Chinese frontier guards have now completely withdrawn from the W a long area, to positions north of the ••line of actual cooteol" existing on November 7, 1959.