Indian Army hands over captured PLA soldier who strayed across LAC to Chinese Army

The two sides have held seven military-to-military talks to resolve the impasse along the Himalayan borders even as an eighth-round is expected to take place this week.  

New Delhi: The Indian Army handed over the Chinese soldier Corporal Wang Ya Long to the Chinese Army at the Chushul Moldo meeting point, last night. Long was captured by the Indian Army in Chumar-Demchok area of Ladakh on Monday. The Army had immediately clarified that the soldier would be handed back to the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) as per protocols.

“A PLA soldier identified as Corporal Wang Ya Long was apprehended in the Demchok sector of Eastern Ladakh on 19 October 2020 after he had strayed across the LAC. The PLA soldier has been provided medical assistance including oxygen, food and warm clothes to protect him from the vagaries of extreme altitude and harsh climatic conditions... A request has also been received from the PLA about the whereabouts of the missing soldier. As per established protocols, he will be returned back to Chinese officials at the Chushul – Moldo meeting point after completion of formalities,” the Indian Army statement had said.

After being apprehended, the soldier was questioned by the India Army to establish whether he was on an espionage mission as he was caught with certain civic and military documents. The soldier had told Indian agencies that he had accidentally crossed the disputed border to retrieve a yak that had strayed into Indian territory.

He was provided with required medical assistance including oxygen, food and warm clothes.

Notably, this comes at a time when tensions between India and China are heightened owing to the ongoing border dispute at Ladakh, which both countries are trying to resolve.

Both Indian and Chinese armies have deployed over 50,000 troops each along the LAC in eastern Ladakh including in the Demchok sector following escalation of the five-month-long military standoff that began in early May.