‘Not for immigration officials to play politics’: Kanwal Sibal on harassment of Arunachali woman at Shanghai airport
A strong demarche was made with the Chinese side in Beijing and in Delhi on the day the incident occurred.
- Nov 25, 2025,
- Updated Nov 25, 2025 8:50 AM IST
The harassment of the Arunachali woman at the Shanghai airport is unacceptable, said ex-foreign secretary Kanwal Sibal. The woman, Pema Wang Thongdok, has said that the Chinese officials called her passport invalid as it had Arunachal Pradesh as her birth place. The officials told her ‘Arunachal is in China’ and hence her passport was invalid.
“What Chinese immigration has done is unacceptable. It is not for the immigration authorities to play politics of this kind. It is all the more objectionable as the lady has transited through Shanghai earlier without difficulty. This shows the pervasiveness of official Chinese hostile sentiments towards India,” he said.
The incident has kicked-off a diplomatic furore with India lodging a strong protest over her detention. A strong demarche was made with the Chinese side in Beijing and in Delhi on the day the incident occurred, sources told news agency PTI. The Indian Consulate in Shanghai also addressed the matter locally and provided full assistance to the stranded passenger, they added.
It was emphasised that the passenger was detained on baseless grounds. Arunachal Pradesh is undisputedly Indian territory, and its residents have the right to hold and travel with Indian passports, one source said. The sources also pointed out that the actions of the Chinese authorities violate the Chicago and Montreal Conventions related to civil aviation. At a time when both sides are working to restore normalcy, such actions by the Chinese side create unnecessary obstacles to the process, the sources said.
Thongdok was detained for 18 hours at the airport. "They called my Indian passport invalid as my birthplace is Arunachal Pradesh, which they claimed is Chinese territory," said Thongdok who was travelling from London to Japan. "I was held at Shanghai airport for over 18 hours on November 21 on claims by China immigration and China Eastern Airlines," Thongdok said.
She said that multiple immigration personnel and China Eastern Airlines staff mocked her and suggested she should apply for a Chinese passport. In the 18 hours she was detained, Thongdok claimed she was denied clear information, proper food, and access to airport facilities. Her passport was withheld, and she was prevented from boarding her onward flight to Japan. She was unable to rebook tickets, buy meals, or move between terminals.
Thongdok also said officials pressured her to purchase a new ticket exclusively on China Eastern and implied her passport would be returned only after that. She eventually reached the Indian Consulate in Shanghai through a friend in the UK. Indian officials later escorted her to a late-night departure from the Chinese city.
The harassment of the Arunachali woman at the Shanghai airport is unacceptable, said ex-foreign secretary Kanwal Sibal. The woman, Pema Wang Thongdok, has said that the Chinese officials called her passport invalid as it had Arunachal Pradesh as her birth place. The officials told her ‘Arunachal is in China’ and hence her passport was invalid.
“What Chinese immigration has done is unacceptable. It is not for the immigration authorities to play politics of this kind. It is all the more objectionable as the lady has transited through Shanghai earlier without difficulty. This shows the pervasiveness of official Chinese hostile sentiments towards India,” he said.
The incident has kicked-off a diplomatic furore with India lodging a strong protest over her detention. A strong demarche was made with the Chinese side in Beijing and in Delhi on the day the incident occurred, sources told news agency PTI. The Indian Consulate in Shanghai also addressed the matter locally and provided full assistance to the stranded passenger, they added.
It was emphasised that the passenger was detained on baseless grounds. Arunachal Pradesh is undisputedly Indian territory, and its residents have the right to hold and travel with Indian passports, one source said. The sources also pointed out that the actions of the Chinese authorities violate the Chicago and Montreal Conventions related to civil aviation. At a time when both sides are working to restore normalcy, such actions by the Chinese side create unnecessary obstacles to the process, the sources said.
Thongdok was detained for 18 hours at the airport. "They called my Indian passport invalid as my birthplace is Arunachal Pradesh, which they claimed is Chinese territory," said Thongdok who was travelling from London to Japan. "I was held at Shanghai airport for over 18 hours on November 21 on claims by China immigration and China Eastern Airlines," Thongdok said.
She said that multiple immigration personnel and China Eastern Airlines staff mocked her and suggested she should apply for a Chinese passport. In the 18 hours she was detained, Thongdok claimed she was denied clear information, proper food, and access to airport facilities. Her passport was withheld, and she was prevented from boarding her onward flight to Japan. She was unable to rebook tickets, buy meals, or move between terminals.
Thongdok also said officials pressured her to purchase a new ticket exclusively on China Eastern and implied her passport would be returned only after that. She eventually reached the Indian Consulate in Shanghai through a friend in the UK. Indian officials later escorted her to a late-night departure from the Chinese city.