Days after five people from Arunachal Pradesh were allegedly abducted by the People’s Liberation Army (PLA), China’s Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Zhao Lijian on Monday, 7 September, said he has “no details on Indian army sending a message to PLA about five missing Indians in the region,” reported Global Times.
Lijian further asserted that “China has never recognised so-called "Arunachal Pradesh," which is China's south Tibet region.”
The Background
According to a report in the The Arunachal Times, five persons hailing from the Tagin community in Arunachal Pradesh’s Upper Subansiri district were abducted by China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) from the jungle near Nacho while they were out hunting.
When asked about the status of these five on Twitter, BJP MP Kiren RIjiju had on 6 September said, “The Indian Army has already sent hotline message to the counterpart PLA establishment at the border point in Arunachal Pradesh. Response is awaited.”
Two Escaped to Narrate the Abduction
Superintendent of Police Taru Gussar told The Indian Express that the officer-in-charge of the Nacho police station has been sent to the area to verify facts and a report will be available soon.
According to reports, the abducted persons - Toch Singkam, Prasat Ringling, Dongtu Ebiya, Tanu Baker and Ngaru Diri - all of who belong to the Tagin community - had gone to the forest for hunting, a traditional practice of the tribals in the area.
Two other villagers who had accompanied the abducted persons and managed to escape narrated the incident before the public, according to The Arunachal Times.
Ninong Ering, Arunachal Pradesh's Congress MLA told ABP that said the Chinese army has abducted five people from the Subansiri district. “There is a tension between India and China on the Ladakh border, so China is acting on the Arunachal Pradesh border to divert India's attention from there,” he said.
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