Intrusion by China’s PLA 45km deep in Arunachal Pradesh

Even as the reverberations of the deadly attack by Pakistan-trained terrorists from across the Line of Control (LoC) on September 18 in Jammu and Kashmir’s Uri are yet to die down, reports have come in of a standoff of a different kind — this time in Arunachal Pradesh — from across the Line of Actual Control (LAC).

Local reports from the area speak of China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) soldiers intruding into Arunachal Pradesh’s Anjou district on September 9 and having erected a temporary camp at Plum-Plum, 45km into the Indian side from the Line of Actual Control (LAC), the effective border between India and China.

While transgressions are fairly common across a largely un-demarcated border, they are usually restricted to about 4-5km from either side.

The reports also say that there was an unexpected face-off between the Indian and Chinese armies in a place between Theneya and Plum-Plum.

The Chinese soldiers reportedly crossed the LAC from the Hadigarh pass. Anjou district’s last circle is at Chaglagam, which is located nearly 100km away from the LAC. Infrastructure is vastly inadequate on the Indian side of the LAC. Most of the road-heads are more than 50-70km against China’s roads which ‘almost’ touch the LAC.

According to Indian defence sources, Fish Tail — the area where the “face-off” took place is one of the few mutually identified disputed area on the LAC where, as per agreed terms both the Indian Army and the PLA conduct patrolling and there are occasional face-offs.

To resolve the issue, a meeting between the two armies was held on September 14 at a place called Damai in Chinese territory about 3km away from the LAC. With issues still unresolved and the PLA reluctant to move out, another meeting is to be held on October 1.

However, the defence sources said that the PLA patrol team has since gone back after the issues were resolved through the border management mechanism. They however admitted that a meeting will be held on October 1 but that is part of the annual border management meetings.

Arunachal Pradesh shares a 1,126km border with China. It maintains that India’s biggest state in the Northeast — called southern Tibet by China — is part of Tibet and therefore belongs to China.

The last major skirmish between the two Asian giants took place a year back in September in Northern Ladakh, another disputed area between the neighbours.