Arunachal Boy Handed Over To Indian Army At Wacha-Damai: Rijiju

Itanagar, Jan 27: Union Minister of Law and Justice Kiren Rijiju on Thursday said China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) has handed over an Arunachal Pradesh teenager, Miram Taron to the Indian Army, nine days after he went ‘missing’ from Arunachal’s Upper Siang district. Due procedures were followed in the process including the 17-year-old’s medical examination, he added.

Rijiju, also the MP from Arunachal West constituency, said the boy was handed over to the Indian Army at the Wacha-Damai interaction point in Arunachal Pradesh during the day. “The Chinese PLA handed over the young boy from Arunachal Pradesh Shri Miram Taron to Indian Army at WACHA-DAMAI interaction point in Arunachal Pradesh today (Thursday). I thank our proud Indian Army for pursuing the case meticulously with PLA and safely securing our young boy back home,” Rijiju said in a tweet.

The teen from Arunachal’s Zido village in Upper Siang district went missing from Lungta Jor area of Bishing village bordering China on January 18 when he went hunting with a friend. On Wednesday, the Union Minister had said that Chinese PLA has ‘confirmed’ that the young Arunachal Pradesh boy will be repatriated to the Indian side. According to the minister, since Miram went missing from the area close to LAC, the Indian Army immediately approached the Chinese side, asking for assistance in tracing and ensuring his return, in case he had strayed into the Chinese territory or the PLA had taken him in their custody. On 20 January 2022, the Chinese side intimated that they had found a boy on their side and requested for further details to establish the identity, according to the minister. The Indian Army then shared Miram’s personal details and photo with the Chinese. BJP’s Arunachal East MP Tapir Gao had on January 19 said Miram was abducted by the PLA from Lungta Jor area in Upper Siang. His friend, Johny Yaying (27) escaped from the PLA and reported to the authorities. It may be mentioned that China had initially denied reports of his alleged abduction. In September 2020 too, the PLA had reportedly abducted five youths from Arunachal’s Upper Subansiri district after they allegedly strayed into Chinese territory and released them after about a week. U