Pema Wangjom Thongdok, an Indian-origin UK resident from Arunachal Pradesh, has accused Chinese immigration officials at Shanghai Pudong Airport of detaining and harassing her for hours during a transit stop, after allegedly refusing to recognise her Indian passport, according to reports.
Shanghai Pudong Airport Authorities Reject Passport
Pema Wangjom Thongdok, travelling from London to Japan on November 21, was scheduled for a three-hour layover at Shanghai.
According to an India Today report, the immigration officials at the airport declared her passport “invalid” because it listed Arunachal Pradesh as her place of birth. According to Pema, officials told her, “Arunachal Pradesh is part of China.”
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“After immigration, I submitted my passport and was waiting at security. Just then, an official came and started screaming, ‘India, India,’ with my name and singled me out. When I asked, she took me to the immigration desk and said, ‘Arunachal, not valid passport,’” she told India Today.
“When I asked the reason why my Indian passport was not valid, the official simply replied, ‘Arunachal is a part of China. Your passport is invalid.’”
Pema Wangjom Thongdok Mocked, Confined
Pema told India Today that she had transited through Shanghai the previous year without any issues. She had even verified with the Chinese Embassy in London that there would be no problem for Indians travelling through Shanghai.
Pema alleged that multiple immigration personnel and staff from China Eastern Airlines mocked her, laughed at her, and suggested she “apply for a Chinese passport.”
What was meant to be a brief layover extended into an 18-hour ordeal in the transit area, during which she claimed she was denied clear information, proper food, or access to airport facilities.
Indian Consulate Comes To Help
She also said her passport was withheld, preventing her from boarding her onward flight to Japan despite holding a valid visa.
“I was confined to the transit area. I couldn’t rebook tickets, buy meals, or move between terminals. Officials pressured me to purchase a new ticket exclusively on China Eastern and implied my passport would be returned only after doing so,” Pema said, adding that the ordeal led to financial losses from missed flights and hotel bookings.
Eventually, Pema was able to contact the Indian Consulate in Shanghai through a friend in the UK. Indian officials later escorted her for a late-night departure from China.
Pema Wangjom Thongdok Writes To PM Modi
In a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and senior officials, Pema described her treatment as a “direct insult to India’s sovereignty and to the citizens of Arunachal Pradesh.”
She urged the Indian government to raise the issue with Beijing, seek accountability and disciplinary action against the immigration and airline staff involved, and push for compensation.
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Zubair Amin is a Senior Journalist at NewsX with over seven years of experience in reporting and editorial work. He has written for leading national and international publications, including Foreign Policy Magazine, Al Jazeera, The Economic Times, The Indian Express, The Wire, Article 14, Mongabay, News9, among others. His primary focus is on international affairs, with a strong interest in US politics and policy. He also writes on West Asia, Indian polity, and constitutional issues. Zubair tweets at zubaiyr.amin
