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Thursday 22 August 2013

Chinese troops enter Arunachal Pradesh, stay for four days

Representational image. Reuters
New Delhi: In yet another face-off with Indian soldiers, Chinese troops had come more than 20 kilometres inside Indian territory in Chaglagam area of Arunachal Pradesh on August 13 and stayed there for about four days.

However, the Army Headquarters sought to play down the incursion, saying the Chinese troops have gone back to their areas and such incidents keep taking place as both sides enter areas claimed by the other side while patrolling the disputed Line of Actual Control (LAC).

People’s Liberation Army (PLA) troops had come over 20 km inside Indian-claimed territory in Chaglagam area of Arunachal Pradesh and after they were stopped by the Indian troops, the two sides showed banners to each other to leave the area, sources said.
However, the two sides held to their positions and the Chinese soldiers left after staying put for two-three days, they said.

The area falls under the 2 Division of the Army and the deputy commander of the formation had also intervened to resolve the issue, they said.
The sources said paramilitary force Indo-Tibetan Border Police is also present in the area to guard the LAC there.
Kiren Rijiju, a former Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP from Arunachal Pradesh, said that Indian and Chinese forces were locked in a face-to-face situation in Anjaw district of the state.

“Chinese troops have erected tents and are carrying military equipment. According to information from our party workers, they have managed to intrude about 60 km inside our territory,” Rijiju told IANS.

Rijiju said that the intrusion began Aug 13 and the Chinese troops had been able to come deep inside. He said the army was not permanently deployed in the area and Indo-Tibetan Border Police was looking after the security of the area.
“It is a major intrusion. The government should immediately talk to China and ask it to pull back its troops,” Rijiju said.

He said that Indian and Chinese troops were near Plamplam post, about 60 km from the LAC, and 20 km from Chaglagam, an administrative centre where the Arunachal Pradesh government has posted its officials.
He said party activists had been asked to visit the area.
Tapir Gao, a BJP general secretary from Arunachal Pradesh, claimed here were over 100 Chinese troops in the area.

In April, Chinese troops had entered 19 km deep inside the Indian Territory and pitched their tents in Depsang plains in Ladakh. They returned after a three-week stand-off and several rounds of hectic parleys between the top officials of the two countries.
In the last eight months, Army sources said there have been over 150 incursions by the Chinese side and that Indian troops also enter areas claimed by them during patrolling.

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