2.1.3. The Colombo Conference and Limits of Non-Aligned Movement

Six of the non-aligned nations — Egypt, Burma, Cambodia, Sri Lanka, Ghana and Indonesia, selected on the basis that they were all acceptable to India and China - met in Colombo on 10 December 1962. The proposals that emerged from the Colombo Conference stipulated a Chinese withdrawal of 20 km from the ceasefire line observed by China without any reciprocal withdrawal on India’s behalf. Although the mediation effort was encouraged, the failure of these six nations unequivocally to condemn China is deeply disappointed India. Nevertheless, India accepted the proposals while China accepted them in principle as the basis to start negotiations. Eventually the initiative withered away.