China has completely refused the abduction of a 17-year-old youth.
China’s Foreign Ministry denies abduction
On January 20, China’s Foreign Ministry informed that they are completely unaware of the incident in which the Chinese People’s Liberation Army reportedly abducted a 17-year-old youth from Arunachal Pradesh’s Upper Siang district but said the PLA controls the borders and cracks down on “illegal entry and exit activities.”
“The Chinese People’s Liberation Army controls borders in accordance with the law and cracks down on illegal entry and exit activities,” the spokesperson said.
The Chinese Foreign Ministry’s response came even as the Indian Army has sought assistance from the PLA to locate the missing boy on their side and return him as per established protocol, sources in the defence establishment said in New Delhi on January 20.
Indian Army contacted PLA
They said that when the Indian Army received the information about Taron, it immediately contacted the PLA through an established mechanism of hotline informing that an individual, who was collecting herbs and hunting, had lost his way and cannot be found.
Boy abducted by China’s PLA
The People’s Liberation Army (PLA) of China on January 18, abducted a 17-year-old boy named, Sh Miram Taron from Lungta Jor area under Siyungla of Siang district in Arunachal Pradesh.
Taron’s friend Johnny Yaiying, who managed to escape, informed the authorities about the kidnapping by the PLA, Gao told the media.
MP Gao on Twitter
On January 19, Member of Parliament from Arunachal Pradesh Tapir Gao took the incident to its official Twitter handle where he wrote, “Chinese #PLA has abducted Sh Miram Taron, 17 years of Zido vill. yesterday 18th Jan 2022 from inside Indian territory, Lungta Jor area (China built 3-4 kms road inside India in 2018) under Siyungla area (Bishing village) of Upper Siang dist, Arunachal Pradesh”
By posting a picture of the victim, Gao in another tweet wrote, “All the agencies of Govt of India are requested to step up for his early release.”
Gao also said that he has informed Union Minister of State for Home Nisith Pramanik about the incident and requested him to take necessary action in this regard.
Further, Gao tagged Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and the Indian Army in his tweets.
Earlier in September 2020, the PLA had abducted five youths from Arunachal Pradesh’s Upper Subansiri district and released them after about a week.
About PLA
The People’s Liberation Army (PLA) is the armed forces of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) and the armed wing of the PRC’s founding and ruling political party, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).
Besides the Central Military Commission (CMC) and several minor units directly under it, the PLA has five major service branches: the Ground Force (PLAGF), Navy (PLAN), Air Force (PLAAF), Rocket Force (PLARF), and the Strategic Support Force (PLASSF). A majority of military units around the country are assigned to one of five theatre commands by geographical location.
The PLA is the largest military force in the world and constitutes the second largest defence budget in the world. It is also one of the fastest modernising militaries in the world, and has been termed as a potential military superpower, with significant regional defence and rising global power projection capabilities.
Formation of PLA
The CCP founded their military wing on August 1, 1927 during the Nanchang uprising when Communist elements of the National Revolutionary Army rebelled under the leadership of Zhu De, He Long, Ye Jianying and Zhou Enlai and other leftist elements of the Kuomintang after the Shanghai massacre of 1927 by Chiang Kai-shek.
