Five villagers from Arunachal Pradesh who went missing last week near the Chinese border were back home on Saturday after China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) handed them over to the Indian authorities.
The five youth were received at Kibitu, a small town in Arunachal Pradesh’s Anjaw district, located on the Line of Actual Control (LAC) and were sent to quarantine for 14 days as per the coronavirus protocol.
“The Indian Army took over all five individuals at Kibitu on September 12, 2020, after completing all the formalities. Individuals will now be quarantined for 14 days as per Covid-19 protocol and will thereafter be handed over to their family members,” a statement released by the Army read. The youth went missing after they went into the forest for hunting and reportedly strayed across the LAC into the Chinese territory.
However, Tapir Gao, MP from East Arunachal, had quoted local reports to allege the five villagers were “abducted” by the PLA.
On Monday, China made light of concerns over the whereabouts of the five youths and said it has never recognised Arunachal Pradesh as an Indian territory. “China’s position on the eastern sector of the China-India boundary, or Zangnan (the southern part of China’s Xizang (Tibet)), is consistent and clear,” Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian said at a media briefing in Beijing. Lijian said the Chinese Government had never recognised “Arunachal Pradesh”.
