Abducted by China 27 years ago, Buddhist groups clueless about 11th Panchen Lama's whereabouts [details]

Various religious and social organizations of Leh celebrated the 33rd birth anniversary of Gedhun Choeyki Nyima, the 11th Panchen Lama was celebrated at Chowkhang Vihara Leh.

Religious leaders Thiksey Rinpoche, Palgha Rinpoche, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC) Tashi Gyalson, Lok Sabha member from Ladakh Tsering Namgyal, former MP Thupstan Chhewang, President Ladakh Buddhist Association, and other dignitaries attended the function.

The celebration began with prayers, offering of Mandala and lighting of holy lamp and cake cutting ceremony. Speakers briefed on the biography of the 11th Panchen who was born on April 25, 1989.

Abducted by China in 1995

Gedhun Choeyki Nyima was born on 25th April 1989 in Lhari, Tibet, and was recognized and announced as the 11th Panchen Lama by the 14th Dalai Lama on 14th May 1995.

Three days later on 17th May 1995, the six years old Panchen Lama was kidnapped by the Chinese Government, installing another boy in his place. Gedhun Choeyki Nyima remains forcibly detained by the Chinese Government, along with his family, in an undisclosed location since 1995.

He was for years considered the world's youngest political prisoner. His Khenpo, Chadrel Rinpoche, and another Gelugpa monk, Jampa Chungla were also arrested.

Speakers said that the kidnapping of Panchen Lama by the Chinese is not only a huge loss for Buddhists but is also a loss to the entire humanitarian organization in the world and no one knows about his whereabouts.

International Campaign for Tibet calls for concrete evidence of the Panchen Lama's health

"The 11th Panchen Lama, Gedhun Choekyi Nyima, turns 33 on April 25, 2022, but he has not been seen in public since his abduction 27 years ago at the tender age of six. Nor has the Chinese government provided proof that he remains living", a statement issued by ICT reads.

The International Campaign for Tibet joins the call for concrete evidence of the Panchen Lama's health and location and the restoration of his right to take his place as a religious leader of the Tibetan people.

"After the 10th Panchen Lama's death in 1989, Chinese authorities interfered in identifying the next Panchen Lama, realizing it was a potent tactic in its mission of control", the statement reads.

ICT further pointed out China asserted that reincarnation would be subject to approval by the atheist, communist regime. A propaganda blitz ensued that falsely claimed that the selection of the Panchen Lama and Dalai Lama reincarnations had always been the prerogative of imperial Chinese governments.

ICT calls for verifying his whereabouts

"Kidnapped by Chinese authorities at just six years old the 11th Panchen Lama, Gedhun Choekyi Nyima, should be celebrating his 33 birthday on April 25, 2022. But no one can verify his whereabouts—or even if he is alive", the ICT asked.

Laying the foundation for their long-term objective to manipulate the recognition of the next Dalai Lama in the future, Chinese authorities subsequently installed their own Panchen Lama in a hastily organized ceremony directed by Communist officials.

The 11th Panchen Lama is now well beyond the conventional age of assuming his spiritual duties. The International Campaign for Tibet hopes governments, parliaments, NGOs and UN human rights mechanisms will continue concerted efforts to obtain concrete evidence of the health and location of the Panchen Lama and his family.

ICT also urges Chinese authorities to respond positively to the appeals already made by the UN and governments, as well as by Tibetan Buddhists, to permit the Panchen Lama to live a genuinely free and normal life.

"To this day, China's repressive policies in Tibet have led to executions, torture, imprisonment, the destruction of religious institutions, political indoctrination, the expulsion of monks and nuns from monasteries and nunneries, the banning of religious ceremonies, restrictions on the numbers of monks in monasteries and the extreme disruption of the religious practices of average Tibetans", the statement reads.