Delhi - An Indian woman faced a horrifying 18-hour wait at the Shanghai Pudong airport after Chinese officials declared her passport "invalid." The reason for this shocking detention was simply that her birthplace was listed as Arunachal Pradesh. China claims this state as its own territory. The woman, Prema Wangjom Thongdok, who lives in the United Kingdom, was traveling from London to Japan when her layover turned into a nightmare. She was singled out during checks, and her passport was taken away by immigration officers and airline staff.

During the long ordeal, Ms. Thongdok was subjected to extremely humiliating treatment. She reported that officials mocked her, laughed, and even suggested she should get a Chinese passport, saying she was Chinese, not Indian. More distressingly, she was denied access to food for the 18 hours she was held. She was also unable to use her phone to search for help, as major sites like Google are blocked in China, leaving her stranded without information or means of communication.

Finally, Ms. Thongdok managed to reach friends who contacted the Indian Consulate in Shanghai. Indian officials quickly arrived at the airport, brought her food, and worked to resolve the issue. While she was eventually allowed to leave, she was forced to rebook a complicated route through Thailand, missing her original flight. India has formally protested to Beijing, calling the detention grounds "ludicrous" and firmly stating that Arunachal Pradesh is an integral part of the country.