Beijing: China on Tuesday refuted allegations that an Indian woman from Arunachal Pradesh was harassed at Shanghai airport, saying the actions taken by<\/b>
\nBeijing: China on Tuesday refuted allegations that an Indian woman from Arunachal Pradesh was harassed at Shanghai airport, saying the actions taken by the Chinese immigration officials were as per laws and regulations.
Pema Wangjom Thongdok, a UK-based Indian citizen who was travelling from London to Japan on November 21, claimed that her three-hour scheduled layover turned into a traumatising ordeal after immigration personnel declared her passport \u201cinvalid\u201d solely because it listed Arunachal Pradesh as her birthplace.
Asked for her response to the ordeal Thongdok was subjected to, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning claimed that the woman was not subjected to any compulsory measures, detainment or harassment as alleged by her.
\u201cOn the individual case you mentioned, according to what we\u2019ve learned, during the entire time, China\u2019s border inspection authorities carried out check procedures in accordance with laws and regulations,\u201d Mao said.
The law enforcement was impartial and non-abusive, the lawful rights and interests of the person concerned were fully protected, and no compulsory measures were taken on her, and there was no so-called \u201cdetaining\u201d or \u201charassing,\u201d Mao said.
\u201cThe airline provided her with resting facilities and meals,\u201d she said, denying Thongdok\u2019s charges.
She also defended the action taken against Thongdok, saying, \u201cLet me point out that having border checks on people entering and exiting a country and carrying out law enforcement according to the specific situation of the entry or exit is the usual practice of border enforcement authorities of countries across the world\u201d.
About India\u2019s demarche protesting the treatment meted out to Thongdok and New Delhi\u2019s firm assertion that Arunachal Pradesh is very much part of India, Mao reiterated China\u2019s claims over the area, which it calls Zangnan or South Tibet.
\u201cZangnan is China\u2019s territory, and China does not recognise the so-called Arunachal Pradesh illegally established by India,\u201d she said.
India lodged a strong demarche (a formal diplomatic protest) to China both in Beijing and in Delhi, on the same day the incident took place, sources in Delhi said.
India firmly conveyed to the Chinese side that Arunachal Pradesh is \u201cindisputably\u201d an Indian territory and its residents are perfectly entitled to hold and travel with Indian passports.
The Indian Consulate in Shanghai also took up the matter locally and extended the fullest assistance to the stranded passenger, they said.
Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu on Tuesday said he was \u201cdeeply shocked\u201d by the incident and called it a \u201cviolation of international norms and an affront to the dignity of Indian citizens.\u201d
In a series of social media posts, Thongdok said Chinese immigration officials at Shanghai airport detained her for 18 hours on the grounds that her passport was \u201cinvalid\u201d as her birthplace was Arunachal Pradesh.
She somehow managed to connect to the Indian consulate in Shanghai through a UK-based friend. Officials from the consulate helped her board a late-night flight from the Chinese city, it was learnt.
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