China Releases Humiliating Footage Of Blindfolded Indian Troops Captured On Disputed Border

Earlier this year China state media began belatedly releasing on-the-ground video footage of the Ladakh Galwan Valley clash which occurred in June 15-16, 2020 – and resulted in the deaths of 20 Indian soldiers. While Indian media sources claimed dozens of soldiers were also killed on the Chinese side, it resulted in a heightened military standoff which continues to this day, as peace talks have lately faltered. 

Since the 2020 deadly skirmish, the Chinese side has kept quieter on the details, but this week released high quality video of the moment PLA soldiers captured Indian border troops and led them captive with blindfolds. 

China now released HD version of captured Indian soldiers at 2020 Galwan River Valley Clash pic.twitter.com/wbcK51rwMb

— Carl Zha (@CarlZha) October 15, 2021

Days ago a 13th round of military commander-level talks failed to produce any breakthroughs – instead troop encampments and military build-up involving tens of thousands along the disputed Line of Actual Control has continued.

Some recent reports have suggested that the PLA military releasing such humiliating images of defeated looking Indian captives being led away by Chinese border patrols are meant as public retaliation for recent alleged Indian aggressions on the border.  

This isn’t the first time China has released snippets of 2020 clash footage at Ladakh, but it’s perhaps the most provocative release to date.

The recently failed talks mean that India and China will continue to have troops forwardly deployed in Ladakh, where the skirmishes took place. China has blamed the failure on what it called “unreasonable demands” from India.

In the region there are tens of thousands deployed by either side. Since the deadly June 2020 skirmish, the US has stepped up military cooperation with India, including a new military pact that shares more satellite data with New Delhi. With this increased intelligence sharing, India can keep a better eye on Chinese troops.