India has issued a sharp diplomatic protest after a UK-based Indian citizen from Arunachal Pradesh was allegedly detained and barred from boarding her connecting flight at Shanghai airport. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Wednesday called China’s actions “unhelpful” and said they undermine ongoing efforts to normalise bilateral relations.
The incident involves Pema Wangjom Thongdok, an Indian passport holder in her 30s who has been living in the United Kingdom for 14 years. Originally from Rupa in West Kameng district of Arunachal Pradesh, Pema was travelling from London to Japan on November 21, with a planned three-hour layover in Shanghai.
What was meant to be a routine transit turned into a distressing episode when Chinese immigration officials allegedly declared her passport “invalid” because it listed Arunachal Pradesh as her birthplace. According to her account, she was detained, questioned and prevented from boarding her connecting flight — despite having transited through the same airport just a month earlier without any issue.
MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal, addressing the weekly press briefing, said India strongly rejected China’s explanation.
“These arbitrary actions are most unhelpful towards efforts by both sides to build mutual trust and understanding,” he said.
He reiterated that Arunachal Pradesh is an integral and inalienable part of India, adding that “no amount of denial by the Chinese side is going to change this indisputable reality.”
Jaiswal confirmed that India immediately lodged a strong demarche with Chinese authorities “both in Beijing and in Delhi” after the incident came to light.
Officials said the Indian Consulate in Shanghai intervened promptly after Pema managed to contact them through a UK-based friend. Diplomats reached out to local authorities and extended “the fullest assistance” to her as she remained stranded for hours.
Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu condemned the incident, saying he was “deeply shocked” by China’s treatment of an Indian citizen and called it “a violation of international norms and an affront to the dignity of Indian citizens.”
Since October 2024, India and China have been attempting to stabilise border regions and gradually revive limited people-centric engagement. However, New Delhi stressed that peace and tranquillity along the border remain essential for broader ties to improve.
Pema later said she had passed through Shanghai Pudong Airport previously — most recently on October 16 — without any objections. Her ordeal, lasting nearly 18 hours, has once again put a spotlight on Beijing’s stance toward Indian citizens from Arunachal Pradesh.
