A woman from Arunachal Pradesh who recently faced harassment at Shanghai airport has condemned online trolling over the incident, emphasising that any action taken by the Indian government is for the dignity of all Indians, not for her personal benefit. Her remarks have struck a powerful note of unity among citizens.
Pema Wang Thongdok said she was detained for 18 hours at Shanghai Pudong Airport during what was supposed to be a three-hour layover on her journey from London to Japan on 21 November. She alleged that Chinese immigration officials refused to recognise her Indian passport, insisting that Arunachal Pradesh, listed as her birthplace, is “part of China”.
In a message posted last night, Thongdok expressed gratitude to those who supported her and delivered a pointed response to trolls. “
I would like to thank everyone speaking in support of this diplomatic issue and while I’m new here & not active on X, it’s because I have a very high-profile full-time position working in the financial services and don’t have idle time to answer trollers! The right people get it” she wrote.
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I would like to thank everyone speaking in support of this diplomatic issue and while I’m new here & not active on X it’s because I have a very high profile Full time position working in the financial services and don’t have idle time to answer trollers! The right people get it
— Pem Wang Thongdok (@wang_pem) November 25, 2025
She said that “the right people understand what I meant” and that she had no intention of engaging with those who misinterpreted her.
Urging unity, she wrote, “I don’t even live in India, so any action that the Indian govt takes will be for the benefit & pride of my fellow Indians and Arunachalis living here, not mine. We are one nation, we stand for one another.”
“And the ones who don’t get it are clearly not people I would engage with anyway! I don’t even live in India, so any action that the Indian government takes will be for the benefit & pride of my fellow Indians and Arunachalis living here, not mine. We are one nation, we stand for one another,” she wrote.
And the ones who don’t get it are clearly not people I would engage with anyway! I don’t even live in India so any action that Indian govt takes will be for the benefit & pride of my fellow Indians and Arunachalis living here, not mine. We are one nation we stand for one another
— Pem Wang Thongdok (@wang_pem) November 25, 2025
What Happened In Shanghai
Thongdok described her treatment in China as a “direct insult to India’s sovereignty”. According to her account, immigration officers declared her passport invalid as soon as they saw ‘Arunachal Pradesh’ listed as her birthplace. Her passport was confiscated, and she was barred from boarding her onward flight despite holding a valid Japanese visa. She further alleged that airport officials and China Eastern Airlines personnel mocked her and suggested she “apply for a Chinese passport”.
During the ordeal, she said she was denied food and access to airport facilities and was unable to rebook tickets. She ultimately managed to reach the Indian Consulate in Shanghai through a friend in the UK and resumed her journey late that night.
India Responds
The Indian government strongly rejected Beijing’s claims over Arunachal Pradesh. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal reiterated India’s long-standing position: “Arunachal Pradesh is an integral and inalienable part of India, and this is a self-evident fact. No amount of denial by the Chinese side is going to change this indisputable reality.”
India has lodged a formal protest with China, both in Beijing and New Delhi.
