By Tenzin Tsering
Dharamsala, May 18 – Tibetan exiles yesterday carried out various campaigns to mark fourteen years since the ‘mysterious disappearance’ of the 11th Panchen Lama Gedhun Choekyi Nyima who they allege was ‘abducted’ by China on May 17, 1995.
Tibetan Women’s Association held a panel discussion here on “How to secure the release of the 11th Panchen Lama after 14 years of his abduction” that was participated as speakers by Gyari Dolma, Deputy Speaker of the Tibetan Parliament in Exile, Urgyen Tenzin, Director, Tibetan Center for Human Rights and Democracy, Lobsang Tashi, Researcher, Central Association for the Panchen Lama, Lungrik Gyal, Editor, Tibet Times and Gang Lhamo, Reporter, Tibet Express.
It was discussed that consistent effort at seeking Panchen Lama’s release at the UN and other platforms are important despite them being fairly disappointing so far.
There were suggestions to seek support from other Buddhist nations and that Panchen Lama being a religious head, efforts at garnering support from other faiths can be employed. Various strategic ideas on how to make the Panchen Lama’s release more immediate and successful were also expressed. The audience also expressed their concerns at the missing Lama’s safety
Meanwhile, Members of the Regional Tibetan Women’s Association (RTWA), Delhi, carried out a peaceful protest at Jantar Mantar in the Indian capital demanding the whereabouts of the eleventh Panchen Lama and seeking his immediate release.
The protestors shouted slogans asking China to furnish verifiable information about the young Panchen Lama. “We draw the attention of United Nations and world human rights bodies to pressurize the political leadership of China to confirm the whereabouts of 11th Panchen Lama.” said Rinzing Ongmu, who heads the Delhi Tibetan Women Association (RTWA).
The regional Tibetan Women’s Association of Dharamsala undertook a petition signing campaign yesterday to secure Panchen Lama’s release at the town’s main square. The RTWA Dharamsala also went for a candle light vigil in the evening to pray for the safety of 11th Panchen Lama.
Ghendun Choekyi Nima who turned twenty on 25th April this year was recognized as the incarnation on the 10th Panchen Lama by the Dalai Lama on May 14, 1995, three days before he and his family went missing.
A year later, on 15th May, 1996, the Chinese government admitted to holding the 11th Panchen Lama and his parents in their “protective custody” claiming that they have sought for security and privacy.
Tibetan Government-in-Exile maintains that he and his family are forcefully put in confinement and have called him the “youngest Political prisoner in the world”. Others have referred to him as “Tibet’s Stolen Child”.
China has provided conflicting reports about the whereabouts and well being of the Panchen Lama, ranging from rumours of his death towards the late 1999 to a set of photos that Chinese officials displayed briefly, but did not hand over to European human rights activists.
In 2001, the International Campaign for Tibet obtained a new photo purporting to be of 12 year old Gendhun Choekyi Nyima. However, nothing is known of the authenticity of the photograph.
Lately, China claimed that the Panchen Lama is attending school and leading a normal life somewhere in China, and that his whereabouts are kept undisclosed to protect him, but all requests for access to Gendhun Choekyi Nyima have been repeatedly refused so far.
