New Delhi [India], December 8 (ANI): The Ministry of External Affairs on Monday sought ‘assurances’ from China that Indian residents transiting by Chinese airports is not going to be ‘selectively focused, arbitrarily detained or harassed’ and that Beijing will ‘respect’ laws governing worldwide air journey.
Addressing the weekly press briefing, MEA Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal additionally issued a journey advisory warning Indians travelling to or transiting by China to ‘train due discretion.’
Jaiswal was responding to media queries when requested what the MEA recommends for Indian nationals travelling to or by China after an Indian girl from Arunachal Pradesh, Pema Wangjom Thongdok, was detained at Shanghai Airport for 18 hours final month, with Chinese officers claiming her Indian passport was invalid since Arunachal Pradesh is a part of China.
‘We absolutely share your concern following the current incident at Shanghai airport that you’ve cited. We anticipate the Chinese authorities to offer assurances that Indian residents transiting by Chinese airports is not going to be selectively focused, arbitrarily detained or harassed and that laws governing worldwide air journey can be revered by the Chinese aspect,’ Jaiswal mentioned.
‘MEA would advise Indian nationals to train due discretion whereas travelling to or transiting by China,’ the MEA spokesperson added.
Thongdok was travelling from London to Japan on November 21 with a layover at Shanghai Pudong International Airport, when she was singled out, ‘humiliated’ and detained at Shanghai International Airport after Chinese immigration officers declared her Indian passport ‘invalid’ and mocked her nationality, asserting that ‘Arunachal just isn’t a part of India’.
Following the incident, India firmly rejected China’s claims over Arunachal Pradesh, stating that the northeastern state is an ‘integral and inalienable a part of India’, including that no quantity of denial from Beijing can alter the ‘indeniable actuality’.
Jaiswal, in a separate briefing final month, lodged a robust protest with China over the incident involving Thongdok, calling the detention ‘arbitrary’.
He reaffirms India’s constant place on the matter, noting that the federal government has issued a robust demarche to China each in Beijing and New Delhi instantly after the incident.
‘We made an announcement; you’d have seen that concerning the arbitrary detention of an Indian citizen from Arunachal Pradesh who was holding a sound passport and was transiting by Shanghai International Airport on her onwards journey to Japan, we need to say that Arunachal Pradesh is an integral and inalienable a part of India, and this can be a reality which is self-evident; no quantity of denial by the Chinese aspect goes to vary this indeniable actuality,’ Jaiswal mentioned.
‘At the identical time, I mentioned that we did take up this matter. We did do a robust demarche with the Chinese aspect, each in Beijing and Delhi, when the incident befell,’ the MEA Spokesperson added.
The MEA, in an announcement, additionally strongly rejected China’s remarks concerning the standing of Arunachal Pradesh and expressed grave concern over what it described because the ‘arbitrary detention’ of the Indian nationwide.
It additional mentioned the matter has been taken up with Chinese authorities at a excessive degree, whereas reiterating that Arunachal Pradesh stays an ‘integral and inalienable’ a part of India.
Meanwhile, China rejected allegations of harassment levelled by Thongdok and said that ‘the lawful rights and pursuits of the individual involved had been absolutely protected and no obligatory measures had been taken on her.’ (ANI)