India Issues Strong Demarche to China over Detention of Arunachal Woman

New Delhi: India on Monday issued a strong demarche to China, both in Beijing and in New Delhi, after an Indian woman from Arunachal Pradesh was reportedly ill-treated by Chinese authorities on “ludicrous grounds” at the Shanghai airport while in transit. Government sources said New Delhi reiterated that Arunachal Pradesh is “indisputably Indian territory and its residents are fully entitled to hold and travel with Indian passports.”

Protesting the treatment meted out to Prema Wangjom Thongdok, India informed China that the incident violated the Chicago and Montreal Conventions relating to civil aviation. According to sources, Beijing was also told that “at a time when both sides are working on restoring normalcy, such actions by the Chinese side introduce unnecessary obstructions to the process.”

“A strong demarche was made with the Chinese side, in Beijing and in Delhi, on the same day the incident took place. Our Consulate in Shanghai also took up the matter locally and extended full assistance to the stranded passenger. It was stressed that the passenger had been detained on ludicrous grounds,” the sources said.

Beijing refers to Arunachal Pradesh as “South Tibet” and claims it as part of China, a position New Delhi firmly rejects, maintaining that Arunachal Pradesh is an integral part of India. The incident comes at a time when direct air connectivity between the two nations has recently been restored, along with other confidence-building measures undertaken over the past year, following four years of strained ties after the Galwan clash five and a half years ago.