China suffered higher losses in Galwan, claims Australian newspaper; says Beijing told ‘fabricated’ stories to the world

hile India honoured Colonel Santosh Babu, who laid down his life while resisting a vicious attack on his observation post by Chinese Army soldiers in the Galwan valley of Ladakh, with Maha Vir Chakra (posthumously) in 2021, China continues to hide its casualties in the deadly clash which broke out in June 2020.

In a shocking revelation, new research has shown that the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) lost 38 soldiers than its official count of four.

According to an article in the Australian newspaper ‘The Klaxon’ 38 PLA troops drowned while crossing a fast-flowing, sub-zero river in darkness.

The report titled ‘Galwan Decoded’ prepared by a group of social media researchers is a product of a year-long investigation.

China went to extreme lengths in order to silence discussion surrounding the clash

The report cited several Weibo users and said, “at least 38 PLA troops along with Wang drowned that night…of which only Wang was declared among the four officially dead soldiers”.

“A lot of facts about what really happened, what led to the skirmish, have been hidden by Beijing. What was told by (China) to the world were mostly fabricated stories. Many blogs and pages have been culled by (Chinese authorities) but digital archives of mainland China reveal a different story,” the report states, according to the newspaper.

The report is based on discussions with mainland Chinese bloggers, information obtained from mainland-based Chinese citizens and media reports that have since been deleted by Chinese authorities.

The Galwan Valley clash was the deadliest confrontation between India and China in over four decades and China’s state media almost entirely failed to cover the skirmish or its aftermath.

China repeatedly refused to disclose its total casualties but in February last year, it announced posthumous medals to four of its soldiers who died in the Galwan clash.

The evidence provided by the group of social media users also shows extreme lengths Beijing has gone to in order to silence discussion surrounding the battle, especially the discussion about the true number of Chinese casualties.

Research document includes a report since deleted from the internet

The newspaper said of the four soldiers China has confirmed died, only one – Junior Sergeant Wang Zhuoran – is reported as having drowned and the other three, PLA Battalion Commander Major Chen Hongjun, Private Chen Xiangrong and Junior Sergeant Xiao Siyuan, were killed by Indian forces.

The research document includes a report since deleted from the internet.

The Klaxon also obtained footage of the battle, released by Chinese media in August last year, that appears to strongly support the claims.

The researchers say the deadly June 15 battle was triggered over a temporary bridge, which Indian soldiers had erected across a stream of the Galwan River.

The decision to build the bridge was taken after China started building illegal infrastructure including erecting tents and creating dugouts and had moved machinery into the area.

PLA violated the mutual agreement by creating infrastructure in this buffer zone

According to a Weibo user alias named Qiang who claims to have served in the area, the PLA violated the mutual agreement by creating infrastructure in this buffer zone and expanding its patrolling limits within the buffer zone since April 2020.

When Indian troops, led by Colonel Santosh, Commander of the 16th Regiment of Bihar, created a temporary walk-over bridge over a stream of the Galwan River to monitor Chinese activities the PLA strongly objected and on June 6, 80 PLA soldiers came to dismantle the bridge and nearly 100 troops came to defend it.

On June 6, 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 however, China failed to adhere to the agreement.

“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,” it says.

PLA soldiers didn’t even have time to wear water pants

Three days later, on June 15, Col Santosh Babu and his troops returned, Chinese forces led by Colonel Qi Fabao ordered his troops to form a battle formation and attack the Indian troops.

The report says that the moment Col. Fabao attacked he was immediately besieged by the Indian army troops and to rescue him, PLA battalion commander Chen Hongjun and soldier Chen Xiangrong entered the encirclement of the Indian army and started a physical scuffle with Indian troops using steel pipes, sticks and stones to provide cover for (their) commander to escape.

PLA soldiers panicked into retreat after seeing Col. Fabao leaving the arena and watching the bodies of Major Chen Hongrun, Junior Sargeant Xiao Siyan and Private Chen Xianrong

The PLA soldiers didn’t even have time to wear water pants and decided to cross the icy water of the river in the pitch dark under the guidance of Wang but the “river rose suddenly and injured comrades kept slipping and (being) washed downstream”.