The 17–year–old youth from Arunachal Pradesh, Miram Taron, who went missing early last week was handed over by the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) to the Army at Damai, Border Personnel Meeting (BPM) Point, across Anjaw district of Arunachal Pradesh on Thursday. The PLA termed the incident as an “illegal entry” into Chinese territory by an “Indian personnel”.
“The Chinese PLA handed over the young boy from Arunachal Pradesh Shri Miram Taron to Indian Army at Wacha-Damai interaction point in Arunachal Pradesh today. I thank our proud Indian Army for pursuing the case meticulously with PLA and safely securing our young boy back home,” Minister of Law and Justice Kiren Rijiju said on Twitter. Due procedures are being followed including the medical examination, he said.
The boy was handed over around 10:30 a.m. under strict COIVD protocols, a defence official said.
The defence PRO Tezpur said in a statement that on January 26, the PLA confirmed that Miram would be handed back to the Army at Damai BPM point on Thursday and it was done accordingly after completing the formalities.
Mr. Taron is in high spirits and is elated to be back in his country. He and his family expressed gratitude for the sincere efforts by the Army and the government to ensure his safe return, the statement said adding that he had inadvertently strayed and went missing recently while hunting on January 18.
On January 20, the Army contacted the PLA over the established hotline and sought assistance to locate and return him as per protocol.
The matter came to light after BJP MP from Arunachal Pradesh Tapir Gao tweeted on January 19 that the youth was allegedly “abducted” by the PLA from inside Indian territory.
He cited locals as saying Mr. Taron and his 27-year-old friend Jhonny Yaying had gone hunting in the Lungta Jor area near Bishing village in the Upper Siang district and it was almost dark when the Chinese soldiers surrounded them. Mr. Yaying escaped from the PLA soldiers and related the incident to the villagers, who in turn informed the local authorities. “His friend escaped from the PLA and reported to the authorities,” he had tweeted.
Similar incidents have occurred in the area as the locals go for hunting in the thick forest cover and demarcated boundary.
Illegal entry, says China
In a statement, the PLA’s Western Theatre Command spokesman Senior Colonel Long Shaohua said that recently Chinese border troops in China’s Motuo county on patrol found an “illegal entry” into Chinese territory by an “Indian personnel” and carried out the relevant provisions of “border control, routine interrogation, epidemic prevention and isolation, and provision of humanitarian relief.”
He said the Army had through the border hotline requested the Chinese side to assist in the search and the two sides maintained communication. “The Indian personnel has now been handed over to the Indian side. We urge the Indian side to strictly implement the bilateral agreements, strengthen personnel control and effectively maintain normal order in the border areas,” Sr. Col. Long added.
