Indian detained in Shanghai airport is detained and told "You're Chinese"
17 hours ago
- #India-China Relations
- #Arunachal Pradesh
- #Passport Dispute
- Prema Wangjom Thongdok, an Indian citizen from Arunachal Pradesh, was detained for over 18 hours at Shanghai airport after Chinese officials declared her Indian passport invalid.
- Chinese immigration officials allegedly mocked her, stating 'Arunachal is not part of India' and suggested she apply for a Chinese passport.
- Thongdok had previously transited through Shanghai without issues and was assured by the Chinese embassy in London that no visa was required for a layover.
- She faced difficulties seeking help due to restricted internet access in China, preventing her from using platforms like Google and WhatsApp.
- Indian embassy officials in Shanghai and Beijing intervened, assisting her in resolving the issue and enabling her departure around 10:30 PM.
- Thongdok emphasized her Indian identity and called for government action to prevent such harassment of Northeast Indian citizens.
- She reached out to Indian authorities, including the Ministry of External Affairs and the PMO, to highlight the incident and request diplomatic action.
- The incident was described as a possible tactic by Chinese officials to harass Indian citizens, especially from Arunachal Pradesh.
- The Indian government made a strong demarche with Chinese authorities, asserting Arunachal Pradesh as indisputably Indian territory and condemning the detention as ludicrous.
- The actions of Chinese authorities were criticized as unnecessary obstructions to restoring normalcy in India-China bilateral relations.