India has taken up ‘Arunachal teen’s torture’ issue with China: MEA

NEW DELHI, Feb 3: India has taken up with China the issue of alleged physical torture of an Arunachal Pradesh teen by China's People's Liberation Army before he was released, a top official said on Thursday.

Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Arindam Bagchi, in answer to a query, said: “Regarding the issue (of the Arunachal Pradesh teen's torture) let me confirm that we have taken up the matter with the Chinese side.”

He said the Ministry of Defence would be able to answer other details relating to the matter, and added “but from the MEA I want to reconfirm that we have taken up the matter with the Chines side.”

On Wednesday, BJP MP from Arunachal Pradesh Tapir Gao had told UNI that Miram Taron, the teen who went missing from the Upper Siang district last month, was allegedly physically tortured by the PLA before his release.

Gao also accused the PLA of violating international norms.

"Miram Taron was abducted by PLA from Indian territory around mid-January. He was physically tortured by Chinese soldiers before release.

Taron's father informed me he was blindfolded and given electric shocks," the Arunachal East MP told UNI.

Expressing concern over the revelations made by the teenager's father, Gao, former state president of Arunachal Pradesh BJP, said, "Taron was not a spy. He is a village boy who went for hunting and was abducted by the Chinese PLA.

"They have violated international conventions by torturing him. I condemn such an act. Such an act should not happen."

He also requested the army to take up the issue with their Chinese counterparts during their meeting to prevent recurrence of such an incident.

On January 27, the PLA handed over Taron to the Indian Army, nine days after he went 'missing'.

Arunachal Pradesh shares a 1,080 km border with China. (UNI)