Arunachal: Viral videos of locals 'fighting Chinese army' are false

Two videos circulating on social media with the claim that they show people in Arunachal Pradesh chasing away or confronting soldiers of China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) are being shared out of context, a fact-check by The Quint's WebQoof team has found.

Neither clip shows a clash between Arunachal residents and Chinese troops. The first is not from India at all, and the second, while filmed in Arunachal Pradesh, shows a state police officer.

What the posts claimed

The first video shows a large crowd running in one direction across open, hilly grassland. Posts sharing it said locals in Arunachal Pradesh had driven out Chinese army personnel who had crossed into the state.

The second video shows a group of people arguing with a man in military-style fatigues. It was shared with a similar caption, suggesting that villagers were confronting a PLA soldier.

Clip one: a festival in Nepal

A reverse image search traced the first video to a Facebook post dated October 27, 2026, by an account that belongs to a Nepali national, according to the fact-check. The caption, in translation, was about eating meat.

Further searches using "Nepal" as a keyword turned up similar visuals, including a post by a page that linked the scenes to a custom of sacrificing a buffalo at the Shannikot Mai Temple in Marku, Achham, in western Nepal, during the Dashain festival. The clip therefore has nothing to do with Arunachal Pradesh or the Chinese army.

Clip two: a Siang dam protest

The second video was found in earlier reporting on the protests against the proposed Siang Upper Multipurpose Project (SUMP), the large hydropower and water-storage dam planned on the Siang river. Other posts identified the location as Beging village in Siang district.

Sange Tenzin, a former Deputy Superintendent of Police (Headquarters) in Siang, told the fact-checkers that the uniformed person in the footage was from the Arunachal Pradesh Police. He said he had been present at the spot with fellow DySP Togum Gongo during the anti-SUMP protest at Beging village last year, and identified the officer in the video as Gongo.

Why it matters

Arunachal Pradesh shares a long and sensitive border with China, and claims about clashes with Chinese troops can spread fast and stir strong reactions. The Siang dam itself remains a live issue, with local opposition continuing in the area.

Readers who come across dramatic videos about the border are advised to check whether the clip has been verified by the authorities or a credible news organisation before forwarding it. Old or unrelated footage from other countries is often recycled with new captions.