PLA confirms missing Indian youth with them

New Delhi, Jan 23 (UNI) The Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) has confirmed that they have found the missing Arunachali youth and that the due procedure is being followed, Lt Col Harshvardhan Pandey, Defence PRO, Tezpur told UNI on Sunday. “The youth landed up on Chinese side as there is no official wall or demarcation of LAC in the area, it’s only jungle. They have detained him, due paperwork is being done as per the established protocol,” Lt Col Harshvardhan Pandey told UNI. Talking about the formalities before the return of Miram Taron, he said the same procedure is followed by the Indian Army, when somebody from the Chinese side lands up on the Indian side. Earlier, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Lijian Jhao in a press briefing in Beijing had said, “I don’t know the situation. The Chinese PLA controls borders in accordance with the law and cracks down on illegal entry and exit activities.” Earlier, BJP MP Tapir Gao had claimed that the youth was abducted by China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) from Lungta Jor area inside the Indian territory in Arunachal Pradesh’s Upper Siang district and his whereabouts were not known. The Indian Army had contacted the Chinese PLA through hotline, seeking its assistance to locate the youth on their side and return him as per the established protocol. Sources also said the youth lost his way as he went in the area for hunting and collecting herbs. The incident happened in Lungta Jor area in Arunachal Pradesh’s Upper Siang district. “Another youth Johny Yaying escaped from the clutches of PLA and reported to the authorities,” Tapir Gao told UNI. Gao requested the Government to take initiative for his early release. He said he had also apprised Chief Secretary Naresh Kumar and the district administration about the issue. The MP claimed that the incident site was the one, where China had built 3-4 km road inside India in 2018. In September, 2020, the Chinese PLA had handed over five youth from the frontier state, which they claimed were found by their side. Arunachal Pradesh shares a boundary of 1,080 km with China.