SinoDefence Forum

erikh

"To keep alive Beijing’s claim on Arunachal Pradesh, troopers of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) are known to make intrusions into Tawang. So this January 14, when a Chinese trooper was spotted trying to cross over, Indian troops forgot all about the morning chill and went on high alert.

But Cheng Hong Sheng of the 52 Border Defence Force of the PLA, after crossing over from Wondong to the Indian side in the Tawang sector at 8.03 am on January 14, complained he was not being treated well by the PLA. Before he stepped across, he threw away his service rifle.

Son of Tao Hua from Xiamen in Fujian province, Cheng made an unusual request to the Indians. He wanted to be sent back to China, preferably to Shanghai or Beijing, as he was tired of training with the PLA for four years at the Line of Actual Control (LAC).

At first, the Indians thought Cheng would give them details of the Chinese strength and positions across the LAC. But the mood changed when he gave fixed answers to all questions. There was even suspicion that he could be part of a Chinese gameplan to learn about Indian troop positions.

Official sources said New Delhi was alerted about Cheng immediately. That the Chinese soldier had dropped his weapon was evident because PLA troopers were seen searching the area on their side of the LAC. Delhi was also told about Cheng’s request for a passage to China.

After intense debate, the Indian Army called a flag meeting on January 15 and handed over Cheng to the Chinese at BumLa at 10.30 am. He was carrying a mobile charger, battery and notes on the first aid the Indians gave him.

Sources said the PLA seemed more than happy to have recovered their wayward soldier. Last heard, Cheng’s intrusion across the LAC was classified as a “soldier having lost his way.”

Unhappy with life on LAC, Chinese soldier crosses over, sent back

Four years in the military can be exhausting yes. But aren't all soldiers in the PLA volunteers? Maybe he was bullied. Or maybe it was a cover-up story for spying. I don't think we have heard the whole story. To be continued..

vesicles

Interesting... Yes, he should be a volunteer, but he might be expecting a leisurely post in some big city when he joined. Life on a remote post on the border was probably not what he's expecting because it can be harsh and boring. I don't think they get to go to bars and things.

Maggern

When I visited the Mt Everest base camp, I exchanged a few words with a PLA soldier stationed at the small army base there. He was also from Fujian. Somehow the PLA seems to like sending people from the temperate, well-populated coast into desolate Xizang. Perhaps they have some kind of morbid humour :P

erikh

Or maybe they're like me and dozens of others who volunteer to Northern Norway to get the hardest training, not knowing the extent of hardships they will meet :P And not many conscripts would want to spend four years at Indre Troms for instance..

I still find it strange to suddenly throw away your weapon and desert after four years in this case.

If you read the commentaries on the indian website, some of the commenters say that the Indians were deceived or foolish.

bladerunner

And then ask to be returned to China, knowing in all probability, that ones in line for some pretty harsh punishment.

vesicles

That's also what I'm thinking. This guy should know that he will be punished and treated like a traitor since he "defected" in his uniform. So that's why I tend to agree with those on the Indian blogs that this was a plan by the PLA to test the Indians. or at the least, the whole PLA unit got bored and came up with this game. And this guy happened to be the one who lost the bet and had to do this as part of the bet. I also found it amusing that when the Indians asked him questions, he gave out fixed answers. I can almost imagine what the faces of those Indian soldiers looked like, longer and longer.

solarz

What is meant by "fixed answers"? Does it mean fake info, or that he responded to all questions with the same answer?

vesicles

That's what's said in the original article. I guess it means something like "I don't know", "no comments", things like that. I don' think it means fake since the Indians would not know if it is fake. It they do, they wouldn't need to ask.

Maggern

Hey, I would gladly have extended my stay in Indre Troms for a few more years if I could.

As to the interrogation, I'm guessing he could have given answers that really didn't say anything. Or he gave answers the Indians could sense he had been told to say.

Something does indeed seem fishy. Any military would at least run the soldier through months of interrogations and military courts to find out why he found himself in Indian hands. They wouldn't just embrace him and assume he had lost his way. Some kind of prior knowledge must have been present.

SampanViking

there seem to be a lot of funny things happening along that border at the moment and I would take absolutely nothing I hear at face value.

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