An Indian woman from Arunachal Pradesh, who was arbitrarily detained at Shanghai International Airport after being told that the state is not part of India, took to X on Wednesday to share a message of unity.
Prema Wangjom Thongdok, who lives in the United Kingdom, expressed gratitude to everyone who supported her.
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“I would like to thank everyone speaking in support of this diplomatic issue,” Thongdok said on X.
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She also shut down trolls, saying that due to her “high-profile, full-time position working in the financial services sector,” she does not have “idle time” to respond to them, adding that “the right people get it.”
She reiterated that she would not engage with those who fail to understand the issue, adding that “although she does not live in India”, any action taken by the Indian government would be for the benefit and pride of fellow Indians and Arunachalis.
Emphasising unity, she said the nation stands together 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 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
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
Thongdok had earlier claimed that Chinese immigration officials at Shanghai Pudong Airport declared her Indian passport invalid and delayed her travel to Japan.
She told ANI, “When I tried to question them and ask them what the issue was, they said, ‘Arunachal is not part of India,’ and started mocking and laughing, saying things like, ‘You should apply for a Chinese passport, you’re Chinese, you’re not Indian.’”
Describing the ordeal to ANI, she said, “I am an Indian citizen residing in the UK for about 14 years, and I was travelling from London to Japan via a transit in Shanghai. One of the officials from Chinese immigration came over and singled me out of the queue. I asked her what was happening, and she said, ‘Arunachal—not India, China-China, your visa is not acceptable. Your passport is invalid.’ When I questioned them further, they repeated that Arunachal is not part of India and mocked me, saying I should apply for a Chinese passport.”
She added that she had transited through Shanghai in the past without any issues, but this time she was subjected to a shocking experience.
“I couldn’t get in touch with my family for a very long time,” she said.
#WATCH | Prema Wangjom Thongdok from Arunachal Pradesh claims that Chinese immigration officials at Shanghai Pudong Airport declared her Indian passport invalid and delayed her travel to Japan.
She says, “… When I tried to question them and ask them what the issue was, they… pic.x.com/onL9v1Oe0j
— ANI (@ANI) November 24, 2025
She alleged to ANI that airline staff from China Eastern and a few immigration officers were speaking among themselves, pointing at her, “repeatedly referring to Arunachal as China and laughing”.
Describing the situation as “very humiliating,” she termed the behaviour of the Chinese immigration and airline staff as “questionable.”
“I called the Indian embassies in Shanghai and Beijing, and within an hour, Indian officials came to the airport, got me some food, spoke to the authorities, and helped me get out of the country. It was a very long ordeal, 18 hours, but I’m glad I’m out of there,” she stated.
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