Insult to India’s sovereignty: CM Khandu on detention of Arunachal woman in China

Arunachal Pradesh chief minister Pema Khandu on Tuesday condemned what he described as the "unacceptable" treatment of a woman from the state who was detained for nearly 18 hours at Shanghai Pudong airport after Chinese immigration officials allegedly refused to recognise her Indian passport.

Khandu said he was "deeply shocked" by the ordeal faced by Pema Wangjom Thongdok, a UK-based Indian citizen, adding that the behaviour of Chinese officials amounted to "humiliation and racial mockery".

“Subjecting her, despite a valid Indian passport, to such treatment is appalling,” he posted on X.

Reaffirming India’s position, he said, “Arunachal Pradesh is and will always be an integral part of India. Any insinuation otherwise is baseless and offensive.”

Calling the incident a “violation of international norms and an affront to the dignity of Indian citizens,” Khandu said he was confident the Ministry of External Affairs would raise the issue strongly with Beijing to prevent such incidents in the future.

Thongdok, originally from Rupa in West Kameng district and now settled in the UK, was travelling from London to Japan on 21 November. Her scheduled three-hour layover in Shanghai reportedly turned into what she described as a “prolonged and distressing confrontation”.

In a post on X on Sunday, she wrote that she was held at the airport for more than 18 hours because immigration officers called her Indian passport “invalid” on the grounds that her birthplace, Arunachal Pradesh, was “Chinese territory”.

According to her account, she was confined to the transit area without clear explanations, adequate food or basic facilities. Her passport was allegedly confiscated, and she was denied boarding on her connecting flight to Japan despite holding a valid visa.

Thongdok has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and senior government officials, calling the episode a “direct insult to India’s sovereignty and the people of Arunachal Pradesh.” She has asked the government to raise the issue forcefully with China, seek accountability and disciplinary action against those involved and demand compensation for the harassment she faced.

PTI was unable to reach Thongdok or her mother Sang Chom Thongdok Pema Choeling for comments.

The controversy comes against the backdrop of China’s long-standing claim over Arunachal Pradesh — which it refers to as 'South Tibet' — a claim India has consistently rejected, asserting that the state is an integral and inalienable part of the country.

With PTI inputs