China deploys Tibetan troops along LAC

New Delhi: The Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) has now posted Tibetan troops in patrols in eastern Ladakh and Arunachal Pradesh along the Line of Actual Control (LAC).

As per the defence sources, China has faced challenges in deploying troops in super high altitude areas like those opposite eastern Ladakh, and they believe that Tibetans are better suited to endure such conditions and perform their duties. 

The majority of the troops in the patrol, however, are still mainland Han Chinese soldiers. 

The sources said, the Chinese are making significant efforts to strengthen their presence along the LAC, particularly in extreme weather areas like Ladakh and Arunachal Pradesh. 

For this, the Chinese army is actively recruiting Tibetan youths within its territory and providing them with training for operations along the LAC with India. Regular exercises are being held to prepare these recruits for special operations along the border, they added. 

The inclusion of Tibetan soldiers in the Chinese army also has the additional advantage of bringing in greater acceptance of Chinese rule among the local population in the Tibet Autonomous Region.

The induction of Tibetan soldiers into the Chinese forces involves various loyalty tests, such as learning the mainland Chinese language and accepting the supremacy of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) over any other belief. 

The initiative to recruit Tibetans into the Chinese army gained momentum in early 2021 after observing the performance of Tibetans-in-exile while serving in the special frontier forces of the Indian Army. 

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