Itanagar

Two youths who went missing on August 24 along the Indo-China border in the Anjaw district of Arunachal Pradesh are yet to be traced.

Two men identified as Bateilum Tikro aged 33 years and Bayingso Manyu aged 35 years had left home on August 19 and went to the mountains in search of medicinal plants, were reported to be last seen on August 24 by some fellow villagers. They carried with them their bedding and food items that could last for 15-20 days.

When the two youths did not return after more than one and half months, the family members lodged a missing complaint at Khupa village police station on October 9.

The missing duo was from Duliang village and Chiprugam village, respectively, in Goliang circle of 45 Hayuliang constituency. The family members of the missing youths doubt that they might have crossed Indian territory mistakenly and entered China where they are abducted by the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA).

Notably, five youths were abducted from the Upper Subansiri district of Arunachal Pradesh earlier in September 2020 by PLA and were released after a few weeks. A boy named Miram Tarom was also abducted by PLA on January 18 this year from the Upper Siang district of Arunachal Pradesh. He was also later released by the PLA following official procedure.

The locals of the area said that youths of this Indo-China bordering district usually go to the hills in search of medicinal plants and local vegetables and sometimes they enter Chinese territory unintentionally and get abducted by the Chinese army.

Maniso Manyu, the elder brother of one of the missing youths Bayingso Manyu said that his brother went to the jungle many times earlier but this is the first time that he has not returned for so long.

Family members of the missing youth appealed to the state government, central government, and the Indian Army to trace them.

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The locals of the Anjaw district told that their ancestors used to visit China and exchanged their local goods in return for salts and local ornaments before the Indo-China war in 1962.

However, at present the Indian Army restricts them to cross the border.