(TibetanReview.net, Sep12’20) – The People’s Liberation Army of the Communist Party of China has on Sep 12 morning returned to the Indian Army five youths it had abducted on Sep 1 and who belong to villages in the border state of Arunachal Pradesh. China’s official globaltimes.cn Sep 12 claimed that the five were India’s intelligence staff.
Their abduction was reported by two local youths who were with them and had avoided being abducted.
The handover took place in Chinese occupied Tibetan territory and it will take over an hour for the team to reach the Indian side and enter Arunachal Pradesh through Kibithu border post, reported the ndtv.com Sep 12.
India’s minister of Youth Affairs & Sports, Kiren Rijiju who belongs to the state had tweeted yesterday: “The Chinese PLA has confirmed to Indian Army to hand over the youths from Arunachal Pradesh to our side. The handing over is likely to take place anytime tomorrow i.e. 12th September 2020 at a designated location.”
The five men who had been missing since Sep 1 were hunters, the Indian Army was cited as saying in a statement.
However, their families and locals were cited as saying the five were porters.
But the ever suspicious China saw spies in the abducted youths whom its Army had previously claimed were found lost on the occupied Tibet side of the border.
Five Indians, who were allegedly “kidnapped” by the China’s People Liberation Army or as some called went missing in the south Tibet region, are India’s intelligence staff who had disguised themselves as hunters, globaltimes.cn cited “a source” as saying.
They recently trespassed the China-India border and entered the Shannan prefecture of Tibet. The Indian side often sends staff via this means to gather intelligence of China. This is how it encroaches China-controlled areas, the report claimed.
The Chinese side has detained, warned and educated the five persons, who will be released soon, the report cited the apparently imaginary source as saying.