Pem Wang Thongdok is an Indian woman from Arunachal Pradesh who recently made headlines after alleging she was detained for more than 18 hours at Shanghai Pudong International Airport. In a series of posts on X, she claimed Chinese authorities refused to recognise her Indian passport, declaring it “invalid” solely because her birthplace is Arunachal Pradesh, a region China asserts as its own territory.
Originally from Arunachal Pradesh, Thongdok currently resides in the United Kingdom. She was travelling from London to Japan on November 21, 2025, when the incident occurred. According to her account, she had already cleared immigration and was waiting at the security checkpoint when an official approached her, called out her nationality, and escorted her back to the immigration desk. There, she was allegedly told, “Arunachal is part of China. Your passport is invalid.”
Thongdok said she was prevented from boarding her connecting flight and pressured to buy a new ticket on China Eastern Airlines. She also tagged Arunachal Chief Minister Pema Khandu, Union Minister Kiren Rijiju and major media outlets, seeking urgent intervention.
After the Indian Consulate stepped in, she was allowed to depart Shanghai later that night. The incident comes amid ongoing tensions between India and China over Arunachal Pradesh, which India firmly maintains is an integral part of the country.
