Indian officials raised concerns with China after a UK-based woman from Arunachal Pradesh reported that Chinese authorities held her for 18 hours during a transit stop in Shanghai, mocked her nationality, and blocked her onward travel to Japan.
Prema Thongdok, who has lived in the UK for 14 years, was flying from London to Japan on 21 November. She said she was stopped during a routine security check shortly after landing at Shanghai Pudong airport. She described the encounter as targeted and hostile. She noted that she had travelled through the same airport in October with no issues.
Thongdok said officials pulled her out of the queue, pointed to her birthplace listed as Arunachal Pradesh, and claimed her Indian passport was invalid. She told the Indian Express that officers insisted her home state belonged to China. She challenged them to show written rules that supported their claim. They did not provide any.
She said staff mocked her and told her to get a Chinese passport. According to her, one official said she was Chinese because she was born in Arunachal Pradesh. She described the behaviour of airport and airline staff as insulting.
Thongdok said she spent 18 hours in a holding area without food. Her passport was taken from her. She was denied boarding for her connecting flight to Japan despite holding a valid visa. She said officials told her she must travel to India or return to the UK.
She contacted Indian officials in Shanghai and Beijing. They stepped in after learning about the detention. She told ANI that immigration officers declared her visa unacceptable and laughed while discussing Arunachal Pradesh. She said their conduct showed a deliberate attempt to demean her identity.
A source told The Print that India issued a strong démarche in Beijing and Delhi on the same day. Indian officials said the detention relied on false claims. They stressed that Arunachal Pradesh is part of India and its residents hold legitimate Indian passports.
The incident adds tension at a time when both countries are trying to rebuild trust after their 2020 border clash. Indian officials said their consulate in Shanghai helped secure Thongdok’s release and supported her until she left China. They called the treatment she received unreasonable and unacceptable.
