Arunachal-Born Indian Citizen’s 18-Hour Detention in Shanghai Sparks Diplomatic Debate

Indian national Prema Wangjom Thongdok , who was detained for 18 hours at Shanghai International Airport and allegedly harassed over her Arunachal identity, has spoken out publicly and thanked “everyone speaking in support of this diplomatic issue.”

In a post on X, she also addressed trolls targeting her online, writing, “I’m new here and not active on X, it’s because I have a very high-profile full-time position working in the financial services and don’t have idle time to answer trolls! The right people get it.” She further added, “And the ones who don’t get it are clearly not people I would engage with anyway! I don’t even live in India so any action that Indian govt takes will be for the benefit & pride of my fellow Indians and Arunachalis living here, not mine. We are one nation we stand for one another.”

Detained Over Passport “Invalid” Claim

According to Prema Wangjom Thongdok, she was detained at Shanghai Airport for 18 hours, and officials declared her Indian passport invalid. The UK-based Indian citizen, who was travelling from London to Japan on 21 November, claimed her three-hour scheduled layover turned into a traumatising ordeal after Chinese immigration personnel declared her passport “invalid” solely because it listed Arunachal Pradesh as her birthplace.

Wangjom Thongdok narrated her “long ordeal,” stating that Chinese immigration officials at Shanghai Pudong Airport “mocked and raised questions” over her Indian citizenship. She added that her 18-hour detention ended only with the intervention of officials from India’s missions in Shanghai and Beijing.

China Rejects Allegations

On Tuesday, China rejected the allegations of harassment levelled by Thongdok, asserting that “the lawful rights and interests of the person concerned were fully protected and no compulsory measures were taken on her.”

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning told PTI, “On the individual case you mentioned, according to what we've learned, during the entire time, China's border inspection authorities carried out check procedures in accordance with laws and regulations.” Mao also added, “The airline provided her with resting facilities and meals,” denying Thongdok’s charges.

Defending the action taken, Mao said, “Let me point out that having border checks on people entering and exiting a country and carrying out law enforcement according to the specific situation of the entry or exit is the usual practice of border enforcement authorities of countries across the world.”

India Reiterates Its Firm Position on Arunachal Pradesh

The Ministry of External Affairs reaffirmed India’s consistent stance, stating:
“Arunachal Pradesh is an integral and inalienable part of India, and this is a self-evident fact. No amount of denial by the Chinese side is going to change this indisputable reality.”

The MEA added, “The issue of the detention has been taken up strongly with the Chinese side. Chinese authorities have still not been able to explain their actions, which are in violation of several conventions governing international air travel. The actions by the Chinese authorities also violate their own regulations that allow visa-free transit up to 24 hours for nationals of all countries.”