ABSTRACT
All of the conflicts could also be classified as ethnic conflicts in one way or another, especially a conflict between the ethnic minorities of the borderlands and ethnic majorities residing in mainstream society. Both India and China have used their borderlands as a buffer zone against external attacks. Both countries fear that if one borderland province successfully secedes, then this sets a precedent, and other borderland provinces will follow suit. Both countries feel that these borderland provinces are integral parts of the mother country, and hence crucial to their national identity. Whilst China’s borderlands are gradually catching up with the rest of the country, India’s borderlands remain impoverished. In the Indian context, the borderlands have been subjected to the draconian Armed Forces Special Powers Act. India has not been involved actively in China’s borderland conflict zones other than offering shelter and protection to the Dalai Lama, which has not gone down well with the Chinese government.
