An Indian national of Arunachal Pradesh origin has leveled accusations against Chinese immigration authorities, claiming they subjected her to prolonged detention and mockery at Shanghai’s bustling Pudong International Airport last week.
The episode, which unfolded during a routine transit layover, has prompted swift condemnation from New Delhi and reignited tensions over Beijing’s longstanding territorial assertions in India’s northeastern frontier state.
Pema Wangjom Thongdok, a 35-year-old professional residing in London, detailed her harrowing experience in a series of social media posts that quickly gained traction online.
En route from the UK to Japan on November 21, Thongdok said she was singled out upon presenting her Indian passport at the airport’s immigration checkpoint. Officials, she recounted, scrutinized the document intensely, zeroing in on the birthplace field listing Arunachal Pradesh. What followed was an 18-hour saga of isolation in a holding area, marked by repeated interrogations and mocking remarks that underscored China’s disputed claim over the region, which Beijing refers to as ‘South Tibet’ or ‘Zangnan.’
‘They kept insisting that Arunachal is Chinese territory and that my passport was invalid because of it,’ Ms. Thongdok shared in an emotional social media post. One officer allegedly quipped, ‘You’re Chinese, why are you using an Indian passport?’ as colleagues laughed, according to her account. Denied access to her luggage, food, or even basic amenities like a phone charger, Ms. Thongdok was shuttled between rooms and questioned about her family ties to the area.
Only after frantic outreach to the Indian embassy in Beijing was she cleared to board a flight to Tokyo the next morning, arriving exhausted and shaken.
In response to the issue, the Indian Ministry of External Affairs confirmed it issued a formal démarche to the Chinese embassy in New Delhi, describing the treatment as ‘unacceptable’ and a ‘clear violation of international travel norms.’
Chinese foreign ministry spokespersons, when queried during a routine briefing, offered a tepid acknowledgment, attributing the delay to ‘routine verification procedures’ amid heightened security protocols.
Yet, the episode echoes a pattern of similar reports. In 2023, Indian pilgrims transiting through Tibet faced passport scrutiny, and earlier this year, a group of Arunachali students in Kunming alleged similar profiling during visa renewals.
Ms. Thongdok’s story has galvanized support from Arunachal’s diaspora and local leaders, with Chief Minister Pema Khandu publicly vowing to bolster consular assistance for citizens abroad.