The 11th Panchen Lama of Tibet, Gedhun Choekyi Nyima, is the youngest political prisoner in the world. The Central Tibetan Administration and Tibetans worldwide demand that China release Gedhun Choekyi Nyima on May 17, 2023. The Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) has released a statement on the release of Gedhun Choekyi Nyima and Tibetans in Canada, the United States, France, the United Kingdom, Switzerland, Australia, and India protest against the Chinese government on the 28th anniversary of the 11th Panchen Lama of Tibet’s forcible disappearance, also known as Jetsun Tenzin Gedhun Yeshi Trinley Phuntsok Pal Sangpo.
In a statement, DIIR said, “This year, on May 17, we remember the 28th anniversary of the forced disappearance of Jetsun Tenzin Gedhun Yeshi Trinley Phuntsok Pal Sangpo, then six years old and known as Gedhun Choekyi Nyima, the 11th Panchen Lama. Three days after His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama named six-year-old Gedhun Choekyi Nyima the 11th Panchen Lama, the Chinese government kidnapped the Panchen Lama, his family, and Chadrel Rinpoche, who was in charge of overseeing the committee that conducted the search for the reincarnation. Since that time, none of them have been located. The Panchen Lama’s 28-year kidnapping serves as a somber reminder of the cruel tyranny the Chinese colonial state perpetrated against the Tibetan people as one of the world’s longest-running examples of enforced disappearance.
“China’s meddling in the Panchen Lama’s appointment process demonstrates its contempt for the basic human rights and strongly held religious convictions of Tibetans. Despite having ratified many UN human rights conventions, China continues to treat Tibetans harshly and to openly disdain their basic human rights and religious beliefs. The world community has denounced China’s apathetic acts in breaching basic justice and human rights. The Chinese government has been urged to disclose accurate information on the Panchen Lama by several foreign countries and organizations, the statement said.
Two requests have been made of the Chinese government by the DIIR:
We kindly request that they provide accurate details on the whereabouts and state of health of the 11th Panchen Lama, Gedhun Choekyi Nyima, and his parents.
We demand that the Chinese government uphold the fundamental human rights of Tibetans, including an immediate end to the detention without trial of major religious figures, community leaders, and activists.
We will continue to demand that they abide by international agreements and hold them responsible for their egregious transgressions against the Tibetan people.
