“Missing” Arunachal teen found, Chinese PLA tells Indian Army

The 17-year-old was allegedly abducted from near the Line of Actual Control in the State’s Upper Siang district

The People’s Liberation Army (PLA) of China has told the Indian Army that it has found a “missing” boy believed to be from Arunachal Pradesh.

A senior Army officer said the PLA did not specify where its soldiers found the boy. But is has been presumed he is the 17-year-old Miram Taron who was allegedly abducted on January 18 by Chinese soldiers from near the Line of Actual Control in the Upper Siang district of Arunachal Pradesh.

“Only one person from Arunachal Pradesh is missing from that sector along the LAC. So, we believe it is the teenager,” the officer said, confirming that the PLA had informed the Indian Army about finding the missing boy. Opang Taron, the boy’s father said Miram would be received by the entire village (Zido) when he is brought home. He added that his wife went into a depression since their son was “taken away” by the PLA.

The incident had happened when Miram and his friend, Jhonny Yaying had ventured into a forest close to the LAC to hunt wild animals and collect medicinal herbs. The Chinese soldiers caught them. On January 19, Jhonny told local officials that he had managed to flee from the Chinese soldiers. He had trekked to Tuting, the nearest circle headquarters.

Miram and Jhonny are from the same village about 35 km from where the former was allegedly abducted. Tapir Gao, the Bharatiya Janata Party MP from Arunachal Pradesh had on January 19 tweeted about the “abduction” of the Upper Siang teenager and sought his safe return. There have been a few cases of people in Arunachal Pradesh going missing from the LAC. In September 2020, the PLA had kidnapped five boys from the State’s Upper Subansiri district and released them after about a week.

Arunachal Pradesh shares a 1,080-km border with China and villagers, often lacking access to basic amenities, have to forage in the jungles close to the border.

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