'At least 38 Chinese soldiers were killed': how social media researchers decoded Galwan face-off

At least 38 Chinese soldiers, nine times the number declared by the Chinese govt, died in the clashes in Ladakh’s Galwan Valley in June 2020, according to report quoted by Australian newspaper Klaxon.

The report states that many Chinese soldiers died while attempting to cross the fast-flowing Galwan River while retreating in the early stages of the June 15-16 clash.

The newspaper claims it has based its story on a report titled ‘Galwan Decoded’ prepared by a group of social media researchers.

The researchers have declined to reveal their identity citing security reasons butclaimed that their report is based on a year-long investigation involving discussions with Chinese bloggers, information obtained from Chinese citizens and deleted media reports.

The report quotes a Weibo user who claims to have served in Galwan as saying that Chinese army was creating infrastructure in the buffer zone, violating the mutual agreement and had been trying to expand its patrolling limits within the buffer zone since April 2020.

Also watch: Chinese soldier injured by Indian forces in Galwan, part of Winter Olympics event: report

The Klaxon says that the report also shows extreme lengths Beijing has gone to in order to silence discussion about the battle - in particular, discussion about the true number Chinese casualties.

While the Indian authorities had clearly announced that 20 of their soldiers had been killed in the clashes, China had never released the number of casualties till February 2021 when it said it was honouring 4 soldiers killed in the clash with medals.