Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu strongly condemned the treatment of UK-based Indian citizen Pema Wangjom Thongdok, who was detained for nearly 18 hours by Chinese immigration officials at Shanghai Pudong Airport. Describing her ordeal as “appalling” and “deeply shocking,” Khandu said the conduct of the officers amounted to “humiliation and racial mockery,” particularly because they refused to recognise her Indian passport because her birthplace, Arunachal Pradesh, is “Chinese territory.”
Khandu stated that such behaviour was a blatant violation of international norms and an affront to the dignity of Indian citizens. He reiterated emphatically that Arunachal Pradesh “is and will always be an integral part of India,” calling Beijing’s territorial claims baseless and offensive. The Chief Minister added that he was confident the Ministry of External Affairs would take up the matter urgently to prevent similar incidents in the future.
Thongdok, who hails from Rupa in West Kameng district and now lives in the United Kingdom, was travelling from London to Japan on November 21 when her brief transit stop in Shanghai turned into an 18-hour standoff. She said Chinese officials declared her passport invalid after spotting “Arunachal Pradesh” as her place of birth. In a detailed account posted on X, she described being confined in the transit area, denied clear explanations, proper food, or access to basic facilities, and prevented from boarding her connecting flight despite holding a valid Japanese visa. She also alleged her passport was confiscated and that she faced mocking comments from both immigration staff and China Eastern Airlines personnel.
Following the incident, Thongdok wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and senior officials, calling the treatment she faced a “direct insult to India’s sovereignty and the people of Arunachal Pradesh.” She urged the government to demand accountability, disciplinary action against those responsible, and compensation for her financial and emotional distress.
The episode unfolds amid China’s long-standing claim over Arunachal Pradesh—referred to by Beijing as “South Tibet”—a claim India has consistently and firmly rejected.
