Woman from Arunachal Pradesh Held at Shanghai Airport After China Rejects Her Indian Passport

Woman from Arunachal Pradesh Held at Shanghai Airport After China Rejects Her Indian Passport

Prema Wangjom Thongdok, a woman from Arunachal Pradesh in northeast India, was stuck at Shanghai airport for 18 hours because Chinese officials said her Indian passport wasn't valid. She lives and works in London and was just trying to fly from London to Japan with a short stop in Shanghai when this happened.

Thongdok works in finance in London. She arrived in Shanghai on November 21 around 6 a.m. for what should have been a three-hour layover. She had checked with the Chinese Embassy ahead of time and was told she didn't need a transit visa for such a short stay. But when she got to immigration, officials saw that her passport listed Arunachal Pradesh as her birthplace. They told her the passport was invalid and said "Arunachal is part of China." They wouldn't let her through. She then spent hours waiting in an area with no clear help. 

She says staff members were rude, laughed at her, and even suggested she should get a Chinese passport instead.

"I felt humiliated and scared," Thongdok posted on X (the platform formerly called Twitter). She tagged India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Arunachal's Chief Minister Pema Khandu, saying this was an insult to India's sovereignty and to people from her state. At first, she didn't get food or clear information. She contacted a friend in the UK who called the Indian Consulate in Shanghai. 

After the consulate got involved that night, officials finally put her on a flight to Japan without adding any stamps to her passport.

Her story went viral in India and many people were angry. Chief Minister Pema Khandu called it "deeply shocking" and said it violated international rules. He emphasized that Arunachal Pradesh is unquestionably part of India and demanded action to protect Indian citizens. Opposition politicians also called for India to respond strongly.

India formally protested to China both in Beijing and New Delhi the same day. The Ministry of External Affairs said clearly: "Arunachal Pradesh is an integral part of India. Its people have every right to travel on valid Indian passports." Indian officials said China's actions broke international aviation agreements. They called this a ridiculous obstacle to improving relations between the two countries, especially after recent border discussions.

China denied everything. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said there was no "detention or harassment" and that procedures were followed correctly. She claimed the airline provided Thongdok with rest and meals. But Mao repeated China's position: China calls Arunachal Pradesh "Zangnan" and considers it Chinese territory. She said China has never recognized Arunachal Pradesh as part of India. China offered no apology.

Thongdok has written to Prime Minister Modi asking for justice. She wants action taken against the Shanghai airport staff, compensation for what she went through, and assurances that other people from Arunachal won't face this treatment. Her case shows the ongoing territorial dispute—China has renamed places in Arunachal Pradesh and claimed the region for decades, but India firmly rejects these claims.

Thongdok made it to Japan safely, but her experience has sparked fresh demands for better protection for Indian travelers and stronger diplomatic responses. Whether this leads to any actual changes remains to be seen.