'Return Him As Protocol': Indian Army Seeks To Locate 17-Yr-Old Boy Abducted By PLA From Arunachal Pradesh

The Indian Army Approached China's People's Liberation Army after a 17-year old boy from Arunachal Pradesh was reported missing near the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Arunachal Pradesh's Upper Siang district. As reported by NDTV, Defence establishment sources said that the Indian Army immediately contacted the armed forces of China via the 'hotline' mechanism to alert them that an Indian citizen out hunting had lost his way. They also sought China's assistance in finding him and returning him to India as per the established protocol. Miram Taron, the teenage boy, went missing on January 18, 2022.

Miram Taron Abducted By PLA

Miram Taron is a part of a group of local hunters who frequented remote areas along LAC. The boy went missing from the Lungta Jor area. Taron's friend Johny Yaiying said that PLA abducted the former, and he managed to escape somehow even though they targeted him too. Yaiying went and informed about the incident to the authorities. The news on Miram Taron surfaced as Arunachal Pradesh (East) Lok Sabha MP Tapir Gao told the news agency PTI that PLA abducted the teenager. He also tweeted about the abduction urging the Indian government to work towards his early release.

According to ABP, Congress MP Rahul Gandhi also responded on the matter saying,

"Just a few days before Republic Day, a young boy, the future of India, was kidnapped by China. We stand with the family of Miram Taron and will not give up hope and won't accept defeat. The Prime Minister's cowardly silence is his statement... he doesn't care."

Tension At Border and Arunachal's Suffering

The tension at the India-China border in Arunachal Pradesh has been persistent over the years. In 2006, the Chinese ambassador claimed that all of Arunachal Pradesh is Chinese territory. In 2009, additional military forces were deployed by India along the border. Incursions have been occurring ever since, and both the countries set up base camps in the border areas facing each other. It was later diffused as the countries pulled back. However, irregular and unpremeditated fights have been occurring, disturbing the place's tranquillity.

According to The Hindu, in the year 2020, five villagers were abducted by China's PLA from Upper Subansiri district of Arunachal Pradesh. They were released after a week due to the Indian government's intervention.

In the Miram Taron missing case, the boy was abducted near the Lungta Jor area which is the same place where China built road inside India in 2018.

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