General Bipin Rawat: China has realised its troops on LAC need better training after the Galwan clash

China has discerned that its soldiers require better training to be deployed in the mountainous terrain along the Line of Actual Control, said Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat on Tuesday, amid reports that the People's Liberation Army has increased efforts to recruit Tibetans for militias along the border.

"Chinese border deployments with India have intensified, particularly in the aftermath of incidents in Galwan and other places last year. Following it, they realised that they needed to be properly trained and prepared "General Rawat stated.

"Their soldiers are mostly drawn from the general population. They are only enlisted for a limited time. They don't have much expertise fighting in this kind of environment or operating in this type of terrain "He informed a news organisation.

The remarks come amid intelligence allegations that the PLA has created a new group of militias in the Chumbi valley, bordering Sikkim, in the Tibetan Autonomous Region's Yatung County.

"According to reports, one of these militias is called 'Mimang Cheton' (MC), which means 'for the public' in Tibetan, and is made up of local Tibetan teenagers," an official added.

"The PLA provides training to the MC. It has been learned that at least two batches of MC, each with about 100 kids, have already received training. Some of them are presently stationed in Chumbi Valley in places like Yutung, Cheema, Rinchengang, PB Thang, and Phari "He continued.

The MC, whose troops do not yet have uniforms or ranks, was formed with the intention of deploying it in local bordering regions "to use their understanding of the local topography, language, demographics, and weather conditions," according to the official.

After the armed conflict in eastern Ladakh began in April-May of last year, the PLA has held special recruiting drives to enlist Tibetan youngsters in militias and a Special Tibetan Army Unit (STAU).

"There have also been reports that STAU recruits are being escorted to Tibetan monks for blessings after completing their training," another official stated.