Itanagar: Union Minister of Law and Justice Kiren Rijiju on Wednesday said that China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) has ‘confirmed’ that the young Arunachal Pradesh boy Miram Taron (17), who went ‘missing’ from Arunachal’s Upper Siang district, will be repatriated to the Indian side ‘soon’.
He, however, said that the exact place and time was yet to be suggested.
Taking to his twitter handle, Rijiju wrote, “Chinese PLA has confirmed that young Indian from Arunachal Pradesh Shri Miram Taron will be repatriated to the Indian side. Will disclose the exact place & time later for smooth proceeding. Accordingly Indian Army has coordinated the necessary arrangements with the Chinese Side.”
Earlier in the day, the Union Minister has said that the Indian Army exchanged a hotline with the Chinese PLA over the issue of ‘missing’ boy from Arunachal’s Upper Siang district, indicating early handing over of the teenager. Rijiju, also the Lok Sabha MP from Arunachal West constituency, said, “Hotline exchanged on Republic Day by Indian Army with Chinese PLA.
PLA responded positively indicating handing over of our national and suggested a place of release. They are likely to intimate date and time soon. Delay attributed to bad weather conditions on their side.” He had earlier said, since the individual was missing from the area close to LAC (Line of Actual Control), the Indian Army had immediately approached the Chinese side, asking for assistance in tracing and return of the individual, in case he had strayed into Chinese territory or the PLA had taken him in their custody.
“The Chinese side assured that they would search for the individual and return him as per established protocol,” Rijiju has said in a statement on Tuesday. “On 20 January 2022, Chinese side intimated that they had found a boy on their side and requested for further details to establish the identity. To assist Chinese side in corroborating the identity, personal details and photo of the individual has been shared with the Chinese side by the Indian Army,” he has said.
BJP’s Arunachal East MP Tapir Gao had on January 19 said that the 17-year-old Miram Taron was allegedly abducted by the PLA troops from Lungta Jor area under Siyungla area of Bishing village in Upper Siang on January 18 when he had gone hunting along with his friend, Johny Yaying (27), who escaped from the PLA and reported to the authorities.
