Indian woman living in UK detained for 18 hours at China airport over border dispute
Woman detained at Chinese airport for 18 hours over border dispute
- A UK-based Indian woman, Prema Thongdok, was detained for 18 hours at Shanghai Pudong airport during a transit stop on 21 November.
- Chinese officials allegedly declared her Indian passport invalid because it listed Arunachal Pradesh, a territory claimed by Beijing, as her birthplace.
- Ms Thongdok, travelling from London to Japan, was denied onward travel and pressured to return to the UK or India.
- India lodged a "strong demarche" with China, with its consulate in Shanghai providing assistance to Ms Thongdok during her detention.
- India asserted that Arunachal Pradesh is "indisputably Indian territory" and its residents are entitled to Indian passports, calling the grounds for detention "ludicrous".