Tashi Thondup Deported from Shanghai Over ‘Tibetan Connection’

Chinese authorities detained and deported Indian passport holder Tashi Thondup at Shanghai Pudong International Airport on December 1. Despite holding a valid visa, Thondup was singled out because officials claimed his face "did not look like an Indian." During a six-hour interrogation, police questioned his citizenship and alleged connections to Dharamshala, the seat of the Tibetan exile government. Authorities inspected his phone and social media accounts before deporting him to Thailand. Thondup, whose father is Tibetan, warned travelers from the Himalayan region to exercise caution when visiting China due to racial profiling.