The torchbearer for the Winter Olympics 2022, Qi Fabao, was captured in June 2020 by Indian forces when he tried to mount an attack on Indian forces in the Galwan Valley, says an investigative report by Australian newspaper The Klaxon.
According to the report, 38 Chinese troops drowned in the early stages of the June 15-16 face-off between Indian and Chinese forces while attempting to cross the Galwan River in the dark.
ALSO READ | At least 38 Chinese soldiers drowned in river during 2020 Galwan clash, claims report
Qi Fabao was leading the Chinese troop that was responsible for the attack on Indian forces on June 15,2020, in which Colonel Bikkumalla Santosh Babu, who was deployed in the Galwan Valley during Operation Snow Leopard, was killed.
Screenshot of a video showing Col Qi Fabao leading his troops against Indian soldiers. (Source: The Klaxon)
The report draws heavily on research conducted by a group of unnamed social media researchers whose sources include Chinese bloggers, information obtained from mainland-based Chinese citizens and media reports that have since been deleted by Chinese authorities.
HOW THE CLASH STARTED
The Galwan Valley is located in the eastern part of Kashmir in the Western Himalayas along the LAC between India and China.
According to the Klaxon report, Indian troops, led by Colonel Santosh, constructed a temporary bridge on May 22. “Though PLA was constructing its own infrastructure in the buffer zone, the construction of a temporary bridge by Indian troops aroused strong opposition by the Chinese ,” the report stated.
On June 6, the PLA came to remove the Bridge. The report stated that during the June 6 standoff, officers from both sides “agreed to withdraw all personnel who crossed the buffer zone line” and to “dismantle all the facilities that crossed the line”.
JUNE 15 SKIRMISH
Despite the agreement, the Chinese troops continued to build infrastructure in the buffer zone. Indian troops then went to the disputed area in the Galwan Valley on the night of June 15 to remove a Chinese encroachment. They were met by China’s Col Qi Fabao and 150 Chinese soldiers who went into a battle formation instead of discussing the issue.
“The moment Col Fabao attacked, he was immediately defeated by the Indian army troops. To rescue him, PLA battalion commander Chen Hongjun and soldier Chen Xiangron started a physical scuffle with Indian troops using steel pipes, sticks and stones [When 3 Chinese soldiers died] PLA soldiers panicked into retreat,” the report states.
Wang Zhuoran, one of the confirmed dead, reportedly came forward to help his retreating comrades and lead the way back.
“The PLA soldiers didn’t even have time to wear water pants. They decided to cross the icy water of the river in pitch dark under the guidance of Wang. The river rose suddenly and injured comrades kept slipping and (being) washed downstream,” the report said.
The report added Colonel Qi Fabao was “hit on the head by an Indian Army soldier”, and “rushed back with serious injuries”. Another Chinese soldier, Xiao Siyuan, “of the Motor Infantry Battalion of the 363rd Regiment, Frontier Defence, Xinjiang Military Region” had been “recording the event”. He was mortally wounded in the fight.
The Klaxon report quoted reports published on social media, which stated that “after Col Fabao left the arena”, and watching the “bodies of Major Chen Hongrun, Junior Sargeant Xiao Siyuan and Private Chen Xianrong, PLA soldiers panicked into retreat”. Junior Sergeant Wang Zhuoran drowned during the retreat. These were the four soldiers, who were officially declared to have died in the face-off.
US CONDEMNS BEIJING MOVE
On Thursday, the US condemned the move to make Qi Fabao the torchbearer for the Winter Olympics 2022. Jim Risch, a ranking member of the United States Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, slammed Beijing for choosing a torchbearer for the winter games who was a part of the military command that attacked India. “It’s shameful that #Beijing chose a torchbearer for the #Olympics2022 who’s part of the military command that attacked #India in 2020 and is implementing #genocide against the #Uyghurs. The US will cont. to support #Uyghur freedoms & the sovereignty of India,” he tweeted.
It’s shameful that #Beijing chose a torchbearer for the #Olympics2022 who’s part of the military command that attacked #India in 2020 and is implementing #genocide against the #Uyghurs. The US will cont. to support #Uyghur freedoms & the sovereignty of India.
— Senate Foreign Relations Committee Ranking Member (@SenateForeign) February 3, 2022
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