CM Pema Khandu slams China for detaining Arunachal woman, calls incident ‘appalling’

Guwahati: Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu on Tuesday strongly criticised Chinese immigration authorities after a woman from the state alleged she was detained and mistreated for nearly 18 hours at Shanghai Pudong Airport.

He condemned the behaviour of the officials as “unacceptable and appalling,” accusing them of refusing to acknowledge her Indian passport.

Khandu said he was “deeply shocked” by the experience of Pema Wangjom Thongdok, an Indian citizen based in the UK, and remarked that the treatment she received amounted to “humiliation and racial mockery.”

He stressed that no Indian national should be subjected to such behaviour, especially when travelling on a valid passport.

Calling the incident a violation of international travel norms and an affront to India’s dignity, the Chief Minister expressed confidence that the Ministry of External Affairs would take up the case firmly to prevent similar incidents in the future.

Reaffirming India’s position on the long-standing territorial issue, Khandu declared, “Arunachal Pradesh is and will always remain an integral part of India. Any suggestion to the contrary is baseless and offensive.”

Thongdok, originally from Rupa in West Kameng district and currently residing in the UK, was on a journey from London to Japan on November 21.

What was meant to be a routine three-hour layover in Shanghai turned into what she described as a “prolonged and distressing confrontation.”

In a detailed social media statement posted on Sunday, she wrote that Chinese immigration authorities and China Eastern Airlines personnel questioned the validity of her Indian passport because it listed Arunachal Pradesh as her birthplace. According to her account, officials insisted that the state was “Chinese territory” and declared her passport invalid, leading to her being held for over 18 hours.

Thongdok has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other top officials, calling the episode a “direct insult to India’s sovereignty and the people of Arunachal Pradesh.”

China, however, has rejected the allegations. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said the immigration officers acted strictly in accordance with Chinese laws and regulations. Mao also stated that Thongdok was not subjected to any compulsory measures or harassment, and that the airline offered her space to rest, along with food and water.

“We understand that China’s border inspection authorities followed legal procedures throughout and ensured that her lawful rights and interests were fully protected,” Mao said.