China Foreign Ministry Claims No Knowledge of Missing Arunachal Youth, Backs PLA

China’s foreign ministry on Thursday, 21 January, said that they were not aware of the reported abduction of a teenager by the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) from Arunachal Pradesh.

(Photo Courtesy: Twitter/Tapir Gao)

China’s foreign ministry on Thursday, 21 January, said that they were not aware of the reported abduction of a teenager by the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) from Arunachal Pradesh.

However, the ministry, as per news agency PTI, did add that the PLA controls the border and clamps 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,”
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said.

BACKGROUND

This comes even after ANI cited Indian defence sources as saying that the Indian Army has contacted the PLA for assistance:

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

"17-year-old youth Miram Tarom of Zido, Arunachal Pradesh was reportedly captured by Chinese PLA across the LAC. Indian Army immediately contacted PLA through hotline, assistance from PLA has been sought to locate and return him as per protocol," PRO Defence, Tezpur, reportedly told ANI.

WHAT HAD HAPPENED?

Earlier, on Tuesday, Tapir Gao, a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) parliamentarian, alleged that the PLA had abducted a teenage boy from the Indian territory in Arunachal Pradesh's Upper Siang district.

According to MP Tapir Gao, 17-year-old Miram Taron of Zido village was abducted by the PLA from Bishing village of Siyungla area, where China had constructed a road of 3-4 km length within the Indian territory.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, meanwhile, criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his silence on the matter.