Indian-origin woman harassed by officials at China airport

 

 

 

AN INDIAN-ORIGIN UK resident from Arunachal Pradesh has alleged that Chinese immigration authorities at Shanghai Pudong Airport detained and harassed her for hours after refusing to acknowledge her Indian passport during a transit stop. Prema Wangjom Thongdok, who was travelling from London to Japan on November 21 with a scheduled three-hour layover, said her ordeal stretched to 18 hours after officials declared her passport “invalid” because it listed Arunachal Pradesh as her birthplace. According to her, immigration personnel told her, “Arunachal Pradesh is part of China.” She said several officers and China Eastern Airlines staff mocked her, laughed at her, and even suggested she “apply for a Chinese passport”.

 

What was supposed to be a routine transit, she claimed, turned into a prolonged confinement in the airport’s transit area, where she was allegedly denied clear information, proper food, and access to basic facilities, according to a report by NDTV. Prema alleged that her passport was confiscated and she was barred from boarding her onward flight to Japan despite holding a valid visa. Confined to the transit zone, she said she could not rebook tickets, purchase meals, or move between terminals.

 

he further claimed officials pressured her to buy a fresh ticket specifically on China Eastern and hinted that her passport would only be returned after doing so, resulting in financial losses from missed flights and hotel bookings. She managed to contact the Indian Consulate in Shanghai through a friend in the UK, following which Indian officials intervened and escorted her onto a late-night departure from the city.