The People’s Liberation Army (PLA) of China has told the Indian Army that it has found a “missing” boy believed to be from Arunachal Pradesh.
A senior Army officer said the PLA did not specify where its soldiers found the boy. But it has been presumed that he is 17-year-old Miram Taron who was allegedly abducted on January 18 by Chinese soldiers from near the Line of Actual Control in the Upper Siang district of Arunachal Pradesh.
“Only one person from Arunachal Pradesh is missing from that sector along the LAC. So, we believe it is the teenager,” the officer said, confirming that the PLA had informed the Indian Army about finding the missing boy.
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Opang Taron, the boy’s father said Miram would be received by the entire village (Zido) when he is brought home. He added that his wife had gone into shock since their son was “taken away” by the PLA.
The incident had happened when Miram and his friend, Jhonny Yaying had ventured into a forest close to the LAC to hunt and collect medicinal herbs and were apprehended by Chinese soldiers. On January 19, Jhonny told local officials that he had managed to flee from the Chinese soldiers. He had trekked to Tuting, the nearest circle headquarters.
Miram and Jhonny are from the same village about 35 km from where the former was allegedly abducted. Tapir Gao, the BJP MP from Arunachal Pradesh had on January 19 tweeted about the “abduction” of the Upper Siang teenager and sought his safe return.
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There have been a few cases of people in Arunachal Pradesh going missing from the LAC. In September 2020, the PLA had kidnapped five boys from the State’s Upper Subansiri district and released them after about a week. Arunachal Pradesh shares a 1,080-km border with China and villagers, often lacking access to basic amenities, have to forage in the jungles close to the border.