A sign is seen from the Indian side of the Indochina border in Bumla, in the northeastern state of Arunachal Pradesh, on November 11, 2009. (REUTERS / Adnan Abidi / File photo)
Congressional MLA Ninong Ering said the kidnapping took place while Defense Minister Rajanth Singh was meeting with his Chinese counterpart in Russia to discuss the latest round of border confrontation.
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The Chinese military has reportedly abducted five young men who had gone hunting in a forest in Upper Subansiri district on the India-China border in Arunachal Pradesh, amid escalating tensions along the border in eastern Ladakh.
According to local media reports, the five were abducted from Sera 7’s patrol post in Under Nacho Circle. The five people have been identified as Dumtu Ebiya, Prasad Ringling, Ngaru Deri, Toch Singkom and Tanu Bakar. They all belong to the Tagin community. Relatives living in the Daporijo district headquarters said that some of their relatives had gone to Nacho on Saturday morning to discuss the matter with the Indian army.
The PTI news agency reported that two others who were in the group managed to escape and reported it to the police. “I sent the officer in charge of the Nacho police station to the area to verify the facts and ordered him to report immediately. However, the report will be available only on Sunday morning,” said Police Superintendent Taru Gussar.
Nacho is about 120 km from the district headquarters. The families urged the authorities to take steps to bring them back.
Congressional MLA Ninong Ering said the kidnapping took place while Defense Minister Rajanth Singh was meeting with his Chinese counterpart in Russia to discuss the latest round of border confrontation.
“The PLA (People’s Liberation Army) of China has kidnapped 5 children from Nacho, Upper Subansiri in Arunachal Pradesh. This has happened at a time when Rajanath Singh is meeting with the defense ministers of Russia and China. The action of the PLA has sent a very wrong message, ”tweeted the Pasighat West MLA.
India and China held the highest-level face-to-face political discussions on Friday since tensions erupted in May. Defense Minister Rajnath Singh met with his Chinese counterpart General Wei Fenghe on the sidelines of the defense ministers meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) in Moscow.
Sources said that during the talks Singh insisted on the restoration of the status quo ante in eastern Ladakh and the withdrawal of troops in an expeditious manner. “The meeting between Raksha Mantri Shri @rajnathsingh and Chinese Defense Minister General Wei Fenghe in Moscow ended. The meeting lasted 2 hours and 20 minutes,” Singh’s office tweeted.
Tensions flared again in the Ladakh region after China tried unsuccessfully to occupy Indian territory on the southern shore of Lake Pangong five days ago, as the two sides were engaged in diplomatic and military talks to resolve the border dispute. India occupied various strategic heights on the southern shore of Pangong Lake and strengthened its presence in the Finger 2 and Finger 3 areas in the region to thwart any Chinese action. China has strongly opposed India’s move. However, India has argued that strategic heights are on its LAC side.
India has also sent additional troops and weapons to the sensitive region following China’s transgression attempts. Tension between the two sides had multiplied after violent clashes in the Galwan Valley, eastern Ladakh, on June 15, in which 20 members of the Indian army were killed. The Chinese side also suffered casualties, but has not yet released details. According to a US intelligence report, the death toll on the Chinese side was 35.
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