Various Tibetan organizations, including the Tibetan Youth Congress (TYC), the Tibetan Women Association (TWA) and the Students for Free Tibet (SFT) on Saturday evening held a protest at Dharamsala, demanding China to release 11th Panchen Lama Gendun Choekyi Niyma and reveal his whereabouts.
May 17 marks the 19th years since the Panchen Lama was abducted by the Chinese government at the age of six in 1995.
“Today marks 19 years of disappearance of Gendun Choekyi Nyima, his family and caretaker. Many international media and his faithful followers doubt his survival and debate on what we have to do if the 11th Panchen Gendun Choekyi Nyima is no more? The disappearance of Panchen Lama has saddened the hearts of all his followers,” said a joint press release issued by the Tibetan organizations here.
“Chinese government's abduction of Gendun Choekyi Nyima for many years has not lessened the faith and belief of Tibetan people in him. We demand China to disclose whereabouts and wellbeing of Gendun Choekyi Nyima,” said the statement.
“The International Tibet Network and various other Tibet Support Groups have launched campaigns for the release of the Panchen Lama. We appeal to the international community to sustain a concerted effort to press China to release him and other prisoners of conscience,” said Sikyong (Tibetan prime minister-in- exile) Lobsang Sangay.
{{/usCountry}}“The International Tibet Network and various other Tibet Support Groups have launched campaigns for the release of the Panchen Lama. We appeal to the international community to sustain a concerted effort to press China to release him and other prisoners of conscience,” said Sikyong (Tibetan prime minister-in- exile) Lobsang Sangay.
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