At least 38 PLA soldiers lost their life instead of 4: New report on Galwan valley clash

In a major embarrassment for China, an investigative report claimed that China had suffered a huge loss in the Galwan Valley clash in 2020. It stated that the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) lost around 38 soldiers, which turns out to be a much higher number than what was claimed by China in its official count of four.

 

The report of the Klaxon, an Australian newspaper, stated that the facts and images of two separate clashes that took place in Galwan were combined to fabricate the facts. It was revealed by writer Anthony Klan that several PLA soldiers lost their lives due to drowning while crossing a fast-flowing sub-zero river in the dark.

 

 

After Galwan valley clash, China had not disclosed its casualties. However, after a long time it announced posthumous medals to its soldiers who died in the battle but only four names were announced while the actual casualty is up to 38, the report said.

 

The researchers who worked on this investigatiion found that China's casualty extended much beyond the four PLA soldiers. Through this investigation, they revealed that in the early stages of the June 15-16 battle, many Chinese soldiers were killed while attempting to swim in the fast-flowing Galwan river in sub-zero temperature.

 

 

It should be noted that the report was based on mainland Chinese bloggers, citizens and media reports which have been deleted by Beijing.

 

1. The report claims that deadly June 15 battle was sparked over a temporary bridge, which Indian soldiers had erected across a stream of the Galwan River three weeks earlier, on May 22. The PLA, on the other hand, was creating infrastructure in the mutually decided buffer zone since April.

 

2. On June 6, 80 PLA soldiers came to dismantle the bridge and nearly 100 Indian troops came to defend it.

 

3. Soon after this, both the sides decided that they withdraw all officers who crossed the buffer zone. “PLA did not adhere to its promise…and instead of dismantling its own infrastructure as agreed upon, secretly dismantled the river crossing bridge constructed by the Indian Army,” the report said.

 

 

4. Colonel Santosh Babu came with his troops to the disputed area on June 15. On the other hand, the Chinese forces were led by Colonel Qi Fabao. Instead of discussing the issue, Col Fabao ordered his troops to form a battle formation, the report said.

 

"On 15th June 2020, Col. Santosh Babu along with his troops went to the disputed area in the Galwan Valley at night in an attempt to remove the Chinese encroachment where Col. Qi Fabao was present along with nearly 150 soldiers. Fabao ordered his troops to form a battle formation, instead of discussing the issue on the lines of mutual consent made on June 6, 2021," it said. The report said that “the moment Col. Fabao attacked he was immediately besieged by the Indian army troops”.

 

 

 

5. “To rescue him, PLA battalion commander Chen Hongjun and soldier Chen Xiangrong entered the encirclement of Indian army and started (a) physical scuffle with Indian troops using steel pipes, sticks and stones to provide cover for (their) commander to escape. ..Chinese soldier, Xiao Siyuan, “of the Motor Infantry Battalion of the 363rd Regiment, Frontier Defence, Xinjiang Military Region” had been “recording the event”. In the ongoing scuffle he left the camera and attacked but was severely wounded by an Indian soldier and later succumbed to his injuries,” the report said.

 

7. Then the PLA soldiers started their retreat. “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 Zhuoran," it said.

 

8. Describing the drowning, the report said, "The river rose suddenly and injured comrades kept slipping and (being) washed downstream." The report said at least 38 PLA troops were washed away with Wang on that night but Wange was declared among the four officially dead soldiers.