Arunachal woman harassed in China hits back at trolls, says govt's stand is for all Indians

New Delhi, Nov 26
The woman from Arunachal Pradesh who faced harassment by Chinese authorities at Shanghai airport has issued a strong response to online trolls, stressing that any action taken by the Indian government is meant to protect the dignity of all Indians, not her alone.

Pema Wang Thongdok had earlier stated that she was detained for 18 hours by Chinese immigration officials during what was supposed to be a brief three-hour layover while travelling from London to Japan on November 21.

She said the officials refused to accept her Indian passport, claiming her birthplace, Arunachal Pradesh, was "part of China".

Thongdok posted a note of gratitude to those supporting her while also responding to those who attempted to troll her over the ordeal.

"I would like to thank everyone speaking in support of this diplomatic issue, and while I'm new here and not active on X, it's because I have a very high-profile full-time position working in financial services and don't have idle time to answer trollers," she wrote on X.

She added that her remarks had been understood correctly by the right people, while those who chose not to understand were not individuals she intended to engage with.

Emphasising unity, she said, "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."

India on Tuesday strongly objected to the "arbitrary detention' of the Indian national from Arunachal Pradesh, describing the incident as a violation of international norms and bilateral agreements.

Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said the issue had been taken up firmly with Beijing.

"Chinese authorities have yet to provide any credible justification for their actions, which contravene established international air travel conventions and their own visa-free transit policy," Jaiswal said, reiterating India's longstanding position that Arunachal Pradesh is an integral and inalienable part of India.

"This is a fact beyond dispute. No amount of denial or misrepresentation by China can alter this reality," he added.