"We stand for each other...," an Arunachal woman harassed in China replies to trollers

Pema Wang Thongdok, a woman from Arunachal Pradesh who faced harassment in China, has now targeted trolls following the Shanghai airport incident. She stated that any action taken by the Indian government is in the best interests of all Indians, not just her own. She responded to social media trolls with a befitting reply and offered a message of unity to the entire nation.

Prema Wangjom Thongdok, a UK resident of Indian origin born in Arunachal Pradesh, has alleged that Chinese immigration officials at Shanghai airport invalidated her Indian passport, claiming that "Arunachal Pradesh is part of China." During this time, she was detained, harassed, and prevented from traveling to Japan for 18 hours. Pema herself described this incident as a direct attack on India's sovereignty.

India Protests

The Indian government immediately issued a strong protest, reaffirming its sovereignty over Arunachal Pradesh and rejecting China's claims to the northeastern state. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said, "Arunachal Pradesh is an integral and inalienable part of India, and this is a self-evident fact. No amount of denial by China will change this undeniable reality." He added that India has lodged a strong protest with China in both Beijing and New Delhi.

Pema Wang Thongdok, the victim of the incident, shared a post expressing gratitude to those who came forward in her support, including a message for those who allegedly tried to troll her over the Shanghai incident.

I don't have any free time...

Thongdok wrote on X, "I would like to thank everyone who spoke out in support of this diplomatic issue. Although I am new here and am not active on X, this is because I hold a very high-level full-time position in financial services and don't have the free time to respond to trolls."

Indians should support each other.

She said that the right people understand her, and those who don't are the kind of people she wants to talk to anyway. She stressed that Indians should unite and stand with each other. She further said, "I don't even live in India, so any action by the Indian government will not be for my benefit, but for the benefit and pride of my fellow Indians and Arunachalites living here. We are one nation, and we stand for each other."

What happened in Shanghai?

It is noteworthy that Thongdok's Indian passport was declared invalid by Chinese authorities, citing Arunachal Pradesh as her birthplace. The woman alleged that at the immigration desk, she was told that her passport was not valid because she was "born in Arunachal Pradesh."

Thongdok's passport was confiscated, and despite having a valid Japanese visa, she was not allowed to board the onward flight to Japan. He alleged that officials and China Eastern Airlines mocked him and even said he should "apply for a Chinese passport." Furthermore, he was denied food and other airport amenities.