VOIWORLD
Pema Wang Thongdok, an Arunachal Pradesh native who alleged she was harassed and detained by Chinese officials during a layover in Shanghai, has issued a strong message of unity while responding to online trolling over the incident.
Thongdok was travelling from London to Japan on November 21 when she was allegedly stopped at the Shanghai airport and detained for nearly 18 hours. She said immigration officers refused to accept her Indian passport after noting that her birthplace was Arunachal Pradesh, which Beijing claims as its own territory.
In a post shared on X last night, Thongdok thanked those who supported her and addressed the criticism she received online. “I have a high-profile full-time position in financial services and don’t have idle time to answer trollers,” she wrote, adding that those who understood her remarks were the only ones she intended to engage with.
Reiterating her call for unity, she said any action taken by the Indian government following the incident would be for the benefit of citizens in India, not for her personally. “We are one nation, we stand for one another,” she added. Thongdok described the episode as a “direct insult to India’s sovereignty”. According to her, immigration officials declared her passport “invalid”, confiscated it, and prevented her from boarding her onward flight to Japan despite a valid visa. She also alleged that officers and airline staff mocked her and suggested she apply for a Chinese passport. She claimed she was denied food and access to basic airport facilities during the ordeal.
Unable to secure a new booking, Thongdok contacted the Indian Consulate in Shanghai through a friend in the UK. She was eventually allowed to continue her journey late the same night.
Reacting to the incident, the Ministry of External Affairs reiterated India’s position on Arunachal Pradesh. “Arunachal Pradesh is an integral and inalienable part of India. No amount of denial by the Chinese side will change this indisputable reality,” MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said.
India has lodged a strong protest with China in both New Delhi and Beijing, officials confirmed.
The incident has once again drawn attention to Beijing’s recurring territorial claims and their diplomatic fallout.
