“His (Holiness Panchen Lamas) 18th birthday marks the end of a childhood spent as a political prisoner. In Australia and in many other nations around the world, the 18th birthday is a coming of age. Considered a milestone, the 18th year symbolises one’s freedom and independence. For many of us growing up in today’s modern world, the opportunity of wondering freely and expressing our opinions is not considered a privilege, but a given right”, said 17 year old Tenzin Palmo of the Tibetan community in Canberra to those gathered to celebrate H.H Panchen Lamas 18th Birthday outside the Chinese embassy.
His Holiness the Panchen Lama was born on April 25, 1989, to mother Dechen Chodon and father Konchok Phuntsog in the Lhari district in Nagchu, Tibet. The boy along with his family and others were kidnapped by the Chinese government in May 1995, making him the world’s youngest political prisoner. The Chinese government still refuses to inform the extremely concerned people of Tibet as well as the international community of their whereabouts or their welfare. On the 25th of April, 2007, the boy will now have lost his entire childhood to the Chinese government’s illegal captivity.
Although, on April 25, Gedhun Choekyi Nyima and his family were not free to celebrate this landmark birthday in his life, the young Tibetans of Canberra, Australia, celebrated the birthday of this fellow young Tibetan. As Palmo had said in her speech, the fact that His Holinesses entire childhood had been stolen was something that resonated with the young Tibetans. As much as His Holiness had been stolen from his people and culture his own personal loss was magnified on this day. His Holiness was abducted because the Chinese thought that his absence would eventually be forgotten. The young Tibetans stood together today and affirmed to each other and to the Chinese in the embassy that they would never give up on achieving the liberation of the Panchen Lama or the countless other Tibetans imprisoned by the CCP. Gedhun Choekyi Nyima’s 18th birthday was celebrated in front of the Chinese embassy, the closest that the young Tibetans could get to Gedhun Choekyi Nyima.
The day included an introductory speech by Tenzin Palmo, one of the young Tibetans in Canberra, followed by a talk by Dr. Deb Foskey, member of the Australian Capital Territory Legislative Assembly for the Greens Party. This was followed by singing of Dentsik Monlam to pray for the prevalence of the truth and justice. After the young Tibetans offered 18 candles to celebrate the Panchen Lama’s 18th birthday, they sang ‘Happy Birthday’ before cutting the chocolate sponge birthday cake. Then the kids enjoyed the rest of the sunny afternoon to loud Tibetan music played over a speaker system with the music echoing off the walls of the Chinese embassy.
In the evening the young Tibetans were joined by the elder members of the community in a peaceful candle light vigil and prayers. Just as the candles illuminated the small community in the cold dark night, our continued campaign to free His Holiness from detention by the CCP illuminates to the world the real nature of the Chinese regime and the true state of human rights, religious freedom and justice in Tibet.
