Indian Army contacts China's PLA over abduction of Arunachal teen

The Indian Army has sought assistance of China's People's Liberation Army to locate missing boy Miram Taron on their side and return him as per established protocol, sources in defence establishment said on Thursday.

Arunachal Pradesh's MP Tapir Gao said on Wednesday that PLA on Tuesday abducted a 17-year-old boy from inside the Indian territory in state's Upper Siang district.

Sources in defence establishment said on Thursday that when the Indian Army received the information about Taron, it immediately contacted the PLA through established mechanism of hotline informing that an individual, who was collecting herbs and hunting, has lost his way and cannot be found.

Assistance from PLA has been sought to locate the individual on their side and return him as per established protocol, sources noted.

Gao said on Wednesday that the incident took place near the place where Tsangpo river enters India in Arunachal Pradesh. Tsangpo is called as Siang in Arunachal Pradesh and Brahmaputra in Assam.

The MP 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.

In September 2020, the PLA had abducted five youths from Arunachal Pradesh's Upper Subansiri district and released them after about a week.

The latest incident came at a time when the Indian Army continues to be engaged in a stand-off with PLA in eastern Ladakh since April 2020.

There have been 14 round of military-level talks between India and China to resolve the standoff.

However, disengagement process is yet to be done in areas of Hot Springs, Depsang bulge and Demchok in eastern Ladakh.

Each side currently has around 50,000 to 60,000 troops along the Line of Actual Control in eastern Ladakh.

India shares a 3,400 km-long LAC with China from Ladakh to Arunachal Pradesh.