Arunachal: Family of 2 men missing since 2022 from Anjaw, believes held in PLA custody

ANJAW- Two men from Arunachal Pradesh’s Aanjaw district  have been missing for nearly two years from a remote area near the line of actual control (LAC) and their family claimed to be in the custody of China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA).

Batelum Tikro (35) and his cousin Bainsi Manyu (37) went missing from the Chaglagam area in Anjaw district on August 19, 2022, while searching for medicinal herbs.

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Tikro’s brother, Dishanso Chikro, claimed that the duo was in the custody of the Chinese army. “I have come to know that they were detained by the Chinese army,” he told PTI.

“I am told that the issue was raised by the Indian Army with their Chinese counterparts. But no response has come so far,” he added.

Anjaw MLA and state’s women and child development minister Dasanglu Pul confirmed the duo’s disappearance and said they are believed to be alive.

“I have no idea what was the response of the Chinese side at the flag meetings. The parents of the men keep telling us to do something. But we are helpless so far. We hope that they will return home safe and soon,” Pul told PTI.

After the two went missing, Chikro lodged two complaints of missing persons at Hayuliang police station (registration numbers: 0005/2022 and 0006/2022) on October 9, 2022.

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It was mentioned in the complaints that “some fellow villagers might have last seen them at border areas on August 24, 2022″ but since then there has been no sign of the whereabouts of the duo”.

According to their Aadhaar cards, Tikro belongs to Doiliang and Manyu hails from Manyu Chiprogam of Anjaw district of Arunachal Pradesh.

Tikro is unmarried while Manyu and his wife have two very young children.

Anjaw district Zila Parishad Chairman Soblem Pul said that he has come to know that the local Army authorities raised the issue of the two men with the Chinese army at the flag meetings held along the border.

This is not the first time that residents of Arunachal Pradesh have gone missing along the border or been detained by China’s PLA. However, in most cases, such people return home after a few days or weeks.

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This is for the first time that no whereabouts have been found of two missing persons for almost two years.

In September 2020, the PLA allegedly abducted five youths from Arunachal Pradesh’s Upper Subansiri district. The youths were released about a week later by the PLA.

On January 18, 2022, a teenage boy, Miram Taron, was allegedly taken away by the Chinese forces from the Upper Siang district. Taron was handed over to the Indian side by the Chinese army nine days later.

The latest incident of the two missing cousins comes amid a continuing stand-off between the Indian Army and the PLA in eastern Ladakh since April 2020.

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