• Source:JND
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A routine transit stop in Shanghai turned into a nightmare for a UK-based Indian woman from Arunachal Pradesh after Chinese immigration officials allegedly declared her passport “invalid” and detained her for 18 hours. Prema Wangjom Thongdok, who has lived in the United Kingdom for 14 years, says she was singled out, mocked, and repeatedly told that “Arunachal is not part of India” while attempting to board her connecting flight to Japan.

Thongdok, who hails from Rupa in Arunachal Pradesh’s West Kameng district, was travelling from London Gatwick to Japan via Shanghai when the incident took place. Speaking to ANI, she recounted how she was singled out of the immigration queue and confronted by an officer.

Passenger Alleges Mockery And Harassment

According to Thongdok, the immigration officer told her, “Arunachal not India. China-China. Your visa is not acceptable. Your passport is invalid.” When she questioned the decision, she says the officials began mocking and laughing, insisting she should “apply for a Chinese passport” because she was “not Indian.” Thongdok added that China Eastern Airlines staff also pointed at her passport and laughed, repeatedly referring to Arunachal Pradesh as “China.”

She described the behaviour as humiliating and unacceptable, noting that she had previously transited through Shanghai without any issues.

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Cut Off From Family, Detained For 18 Hours

The traveller said she was unable to contact her family for a long time during the ordeal. Despite repeatedly asking for clarification, officials allegedly continued to harass her. She said, “The airline staff and about two other immigration officers were speaking in their language, pointing at ‘Arunachal’ on my passport and laughing. It was humiliating.”

Thongdok eventually managed to contact the Indian embassies in Shanghai and Beijing. Within an hour, Indian officials reached the airport, provided her food, intervened with Chinese authorities, and facilitated her exit from the country. She was finally released after 18 gruelling hours. 

Thongdok said her experience reflects a broader issue faced by many from India’s northeast due to China’s territorial claims. “We are part of India. We speak shuddh Hindi. We do not understand a word of Chinese. I want to raise awareness that residents of the northeast should not face such harassment.”

She urged the Government of India to take up the matter at the diplomatic level, stressing that ordinary citizens cannot resolve such politically charged situations on their own.

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