India has issued a strong diplomatic protest to Beijing after a woman from Arunachal Pradesh was detained for nearly 18 hours at Shanghai Pudong International Airport. Chinese immigration officials allegedly declared her Indian passport “invalid” on the grounds that Arunachal Pradesh is “Chinese territory,” a claim India has denounced as “ludicrous” and an unacceptable violation of sovereignty.
‘Detained, mocked, denied food’: Passenger recounts ordeal
Prema Wangjom Thongdok, a UK-based financial adviser originally from Rupa in Arunachal Pradesh’s West Kameng district, was travelling from London to Japan on November 21 with a three-hour layover in Shanghai. She said her problems began when she was singled out during a routine security check.
Thongdok said she was detained for more than 18 hours, mocked by immigration staff, and repeatedly told to “apply for a Chinese passport” because she was “Chinese, not Indian.” Officials seized her passport, prevented her from boarding her connecting flight despite a valid Japanese visa, and denied her access to food.
“They said my Indian passport was invalid because my birthplace is Arunachal Pradesh,” she wrote on X. She added that both immigration staff and airline personnel made derogatory comments.
‘No access to food, no access to Google’
Thongdok said she struggled to contact anyone because Google services are blocked in China, and she was initially unable to reach Indian authorities. After several attempts, she contacted friends in the UK and eventually reached the Indian consulate in Shanghai, which responded swiftly.
“Within an hour, Indian officials came to the airport, gave me food, spoke to Chinese authorities, and helped me leave,” she told ANI. She eventually flew out via Thailand after being forced to rebook on China Eastern Airlines.
India responds: ‘Arunachal Pradesh is indisputably Indian territory’
India lodged a formal protest with China, reiterating that Arunachal Pradesh is an integral part of India and that residents from the state hold valid Indian passports like all other citizens.
The Indian consulate in Shanghai said it provided “full assistance” to the stranded passenger, adding that China’s actions violated international civil aviation norms, including the Chicago and Montreal Conventions.
Passenger seeks compensation for harassment
Calling her treatment a “direct challenge to India’s sovereignty,” Thongdok said she has written to the Ministry of External Affairs, seeking strong action and compensation for:
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Harassment
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Physical and mental distress
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Financial losses
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Being forced to rebook travel
She added that although she has lived in the UK for years, she retains her Indian passport because she “loves her country”—but believes she would not have faced such treatment had she been travelling on a British passport.
