(TibetanReview.net, Nov12’23) – An international peer-reviewed journal based in China has forced Indian scientists to withdraw from publication a paper on the White-Cheeked Macaque, objecting to its mentioning of Arunachal Pradesh as a sampling site, reported thehindu.com Nov 11. Indian scientists Mukesh Thakur, Lalit Kumar Sharma, and Avijit Ghosh were forced to withdraw a paper on the White-Cheeked Macaque (Macaca leucogenys) on the ground that it should not mention “Arunachal Pradesh” as the sampling site. The Chinese government contested the inclusion of Arunachal Pradesh in the study, apparently after it appeared online, claiming it did not align with their defined map, the report said. Dr Thakur has expressed surprise that there were Indian scientists on the board of the journal who did not support him on the issue. Discovered by Chinese scientists from “South Tibet” (China’s new name for Arunachal Pradesh), White-Cheeked Macaque (Macaca leucogenys) was later reported by Dr Mukesh and his team from Dibang Valley and West Siang region of Arunachal Pradesh on the basis of camera trapping and DNA analysis, the report said.

Source: The Hindu November 12, 2023 17:41 UTC